'UBER BEHAVIOR:' Lyft drivers are furious about the company's new Taco Bell drive-thru mandate
However, many Lyft drivers - who found out about the new service at the same time as the rest of the world - had a different response.
Drivers immediately called out Lyft on Twitter, questioning why drivers would want to take the time of going through a Taco Bell drive-thru without additional compensation. Typically, Lyft drivers are paid by the mile - meaning that they aren't earning any cash when cars are stopped at the drive-thru under the current system.
And, that's not even getting into the potential messes that a car full of Doritos Locos tacos could create.
"That Lyft might go ahead and do this - encourage riders to do something most drivers dislike doing - without offering drivers an incentive or otherwise communicating to us what the plan is is pretty bold," one Lyft driver told Business Insider.
"This is Uber type behavior, and I don't think even Uber does stuff like this anymore," he continued. "I wonder if it occurs to Taco Bell that drivers don't like going through the drive-thru."
The same driver also emailed Business Insider a snarky, satiric corporate statement from "Lyft," reading:
"A representative for the Los Angeles-based Southern California Rideshare Drivers Association said, 'Although drivers make very little money sitting in the drive through line, and many feel that Lyft and Taco Bell are encouraging riders to take advantage of the awkward situation this puts drivers in, the upside is this provides a great new revenue stream source for the drivers in the form of cleaning fees.'"
Lyft clarified on Twitter that drivers' participation in "Taco Mode," which is launching as a test in Orange County, California on Thursday, is completely optional.
The company, which did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment, also said it plans to "gather and evaluate feedback from both drivers and passengers and use this to inform Taco Mode moving forward."
Taco Bell will test Taco Mode in Orange County, California, from July 27 to 29 and August 3 to 5, with plans to expand the service across the US in 2018. In addition to providing passengers the ability to order drive-thru Taco Bell, Taco Mode also includes a custom in-car menu, free Doritos Locos tacos, and what the company calls a "taco-themed car."
"We realized that for every person who has asked their Lyft driver to make a pit stop at Taco Bell - and we've seen many - there are likely those who weren't sure if this was possible," Taco Bell CMO Marisa Thalberg said in a statement. "With the advent of this fantastic partnership with Lyft, we will erase any lingering uncertainty and celebrate the ability to 'ride-thru' in Taco Mode."
Hell no! I don't want people eating messy tacos in my car!
- Kaitlyn (@OakAthleticsGrl) July 25, 2017
they will fight you to get a cleaning fee.My car my rules,no eating,drinking,drive thru or smoking,period.A to B.and get out
- Big Poppa (@lifeofhustler) July 25, 2017
How dare you invite people to eat in MY car without asking ME??? Taco's are the messiest food ever and YOU want MY car clean.
- Kim (@Kim02125) July 25, 2017
What incentive do drivers get for sitting for 15 minutes getting paid pennies per min at a drive thru so that riders can get their "taco on"
- Chris Mathews (@cdm813) July 25, 2017
Drivers will be able to opt in or not once Taco Bell Mode has rolled out https://t.co/sBpJBlRtVI. DM us with other questions. https://t.co/SXpdictw1A
- Ask Lyft (@AskLyft) July 25, 2017
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