Lyft offers one-day tip bonus to drivers, debuts sweet film

About a year ago, I used the Lyft platform for the first time on a business trip to Long Beach. I relied on the service five times in three days, including on two occasions in which the drivers told me they’d left their jobs to take care of their aging fathers. They’d become Lyft drivers part-time while becoming full-time caregivers.

One driver said his father was on the mend, but he preferred driving the Lyft rather than returning to his corporate job. The other driver said his father had died, but he remained a Lyft and Uber driver because he also preferred the employment flexibility his former corporate job didn’t offer.

I’ve now used Lyft about a dozen times, including a recent brief trip to a wedding my wife and I attended in downtown Sacramento. The driver was a deaf woman.

Like other friends, I think ride share programs are terrific. I haven’t followed the politics and cab companies complaints. But the free enterprise and competition in the industry seem overall like a good thing. It’s a convenient, efficient and priced fairly mode of transportation.

For the holiday season, Lyft is celebrating Driver Appreciation Day. It’s matching the tips for drivers receive from customers nationwide today, Dec. 14. The company has also introduced a short holiday film titled June.

It’s promotional, but it’s also fun and light-hearted. With its debut, here’s part of the company’s announcement:

“To continue saying thanks, we’re celebrating Driver Appreciation Day today and will be matching tips for drivers nationwide. Additionally, we’re introducing a short holiday film, called June.

“The kindness we see from drivers and passengers every day reminds us that each ride has the opportunity to make somebody’s day better, and that behind each ride is a story.”