Should I report this the interaction to Lyft?

Drivers Advice, Experiences
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#1

Question: I got a Lyft request for a ride from “Brandon” last night and pulled into a gas station to pull around and change course to pick them up. I get a phone call from the Lyft/Customer line and it’s a woman and she says she actually needs to get cigarettes, is there some way that I could just stop and grab cigarettes and they’ll tip me when I get there “or do you need me to come with you?”
I’m like “yeah, I could take you to get cigarettes, that’s fine” and she says “so you couldn’t buy some and I’ll just pay you?” I’m like “oh no, I’m sorry… I can’t” she’s like “oh what’s the problem?” And I just gave her the first excuse I could think of “I don’t carry money with me so I’d have no way to pay for them” and she’s like “Oh okay” and I can hear her telling the person with her “she can’t, she doesn’t carry any money with her” and then back to me “okay, that’s fine I’ll just go with you” and I’m like okay, I’ll be there in a bit” and hang up and keep driving when the trip disappears and they cancelled.

So here’s the question (finally, lol) Is that shady? In hindsight it just seemed pretty suspicious that they cancelled the call once they found I wasn’t carrying any money on me and puts the idea that they were looking to rob me once I got there.

#2

they’re cheap and lazy and figured it was quicker/ cheaper to try and have you get the item instead of using Postmates or getting it themselves.

#3

Uber/Lyft needs to start requiring id before they allow someone to open account as a rider. I’ve had several over the past several weeks that are underaged and have their own accounts. Only thing I can do is turn them in to the company.

#4

I had a 14 year old boy that walked from his home to the corner CVS, to get an Uber to the mall. I asked how old he was.

#5

They were going to cancel as soon as you brought the cigs. May have been underage but either way it was just for the cigs .

#6

Nothing happened. Those strange request come in all the time. But nothing to be reporting about they’re going to laugh at you

#7

Next time say No we are not allowed to purchase anything for a passenger and we cannot accept cash for tips either.And this service is only for transportation not errand service.

#8

I actually thought about doing this same exact thing a couple of weeks ago. I was home alone and my daughter in bed. I ran out of smokes. I was pretty close to ordering an Uber to bring me smokes. I would have tipped nicely. In the end I figured it was gonna be a bunch of drama by some non smoking Nazi so I just went to bed.

#9

Yeah just the other day I was too lazy to vacuum my carpet so I was gonna ask the pool cleaner guy to do it, but then I didn’t because I was afraid he’d be upset about me asking him to do a service that he wasn’t hired for.

#10

That’s an awesome false equivalency. Did you come up with that all by yourself?

But I’ll play along.

You: Hey pool guy will you vacuum my living room and I’ll pay you $20.

Pool Guy: No.

Where’s the part where he gets pissed off? If someone OFFERS me money to do something that’s similar to my job I sure as hell don’t get pissed about it. In fact I’d be grateful. But that’s just me. You do you.

#11

True but you know as well as the rest of us that when a pax says they’re gonna tip 98% of the time they do not.
Also- if the pool guy says no to the $20 the customer has no reason to hold it against him.

#12

Neither would said person who asked Uber for smokes. Doesn’t mean they won’t.

Yes I’m aware passengers are full of shit. Especially when it comes to the verbal tip. But it never hurts to ask. I’m in sales. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.

#13

Smokers are scumbags, you were right to just leave them there: sounds like they were junkies looking to rob you

#14

Yes, it’s all kinds of shady. Their method of payment ( debit or credit card) on file may no longer be valid. Riders pay when the trip is finished, through the app. We drop them off, and leave. They could have stiffed you for the ride and the cigarettes had they not cancelled. Whatever platform you were driving for would have compensated you for the trip, but not the cigs. People get creative when it comes to getting what they want, even when they know they have to steal it. Luckily, they are few and far between.

#15

Ridiculous to even consider doing that for her. Then I woulda cancelled with a ‘don’t charge rider’ and waited for next ping

#16

She was gonna grab the smokes off you and give you that “I’ll repay you with a tip on the app” I guarantee it lol fucking idiot people. Glad you didn’t fall for that.

#17

Probably didn’t have money and they just requested a ride to get cigarettes. Or they didn’t feel like going out and were trying to get them delivered.

#18

And Yes…report any type of interaction like this to the company. You don’t know if they were underage or didn’t have any money or if they were going to stiff you or even if they were really going to pay you for those cigerattes. and you did the right thing in telling them you don’t carry any money with you. I’ve had them ask me if I have a bankcard I can charge an item to for them…I always tell them no…I don’t carry any bankcard with me since mine are all maxed out…or the fact I left the bankcard at home.

#19

It doesn’t necessarily mean that. They could be minors. They could have wanted to steal the cigarettes from you. They could have just been lazy and didn’t want to put the crack pipe down long enough to ride with you. Just accept your cancelation fee and move on.

#20

Because you need to be 21 now to buy cigs( in Cali at least!) It’s as dangerous to buy someone cigs as it is alcohol, because if they’re under age, it’s a crime. So you were fine!