Expand your respect before expanding Fryft
Dependable, convenient and free, many members of the USC community rely on the USC Lyft Ride program as an integral part of their college experience. The program guarantees free rides to current USC students, faculty and staff in the University Park Campus 2.5-mile zone from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Like all things, there are ways in which the program can improve, such as expanding the boundaries of Fryft zones. However, we cannot call on the school to make this request until students are more conscious of how they treat the drivers.
It is commonly understood that if you live in Los Angeles, you need to have a car. With the city’s spread out landscape, it remains difficult to get to places without spending a hefty amount of money on an Uber or dedicating the time to take public transportation. With the majority of undergraduates hailing from outside California and being on financial aid, it is unrealistic to think that they would be able to have a car or spend money on the increasingly expensive Ubers.
Many college students live busy lives, studying full time and working, and if they live on campus, they may not be able to get out that often and separate themselves from their work. It is crucial that students should be able to take a break from school demands, as that has proven beneficial for their mental health and grades. Taking breaks and having fun can increase academic productivity.
Under these conditions, students would benefit from expanding the boundaries of the Lyft Ride program by at least twice as much. With greater access to the city, there would be more options for places students can go beyond campus without worrying about the financial burden of a costly Uber or taking public transportation at night alone.
Currently, the Lyft Ride program’s main purpose is to provide a safe means of transportation, especially at night. Expanding the Fryft zone would make this program more multi-faceted; giving more opportunities to leave campus could result in more positive student body well-being.
This is a very complex request for many reasons, such as the budget, timing and potential use, but most importantly, the drivers. There is a lot of thought that needs to be taken into consideration in regards to what is in the best interest of the drivers. There is a history of rudeness and disrespect toward Uber and Lyft drivers, and this history cannot be neglected.
College students nationwide are known for being somewhat “difficult” passengers. Many students enter Ubers and Lyfts intoxicated, often spilling alcohol, being loud and reckless due to the alcohol, and in some cases, throwing up. Because of this, many drivers often avoid college campuses at night.
The Lyft/Uber passenger-driver relationship started to gain much more tension nationally when the pandemic began with disagreements about wearing masks. Fast-forward to this semester when the University mask mandate lifted but the transportation mask mandate remained —there was a misalignment of expectations in regards to coronavirus safety. However, as of April 19, that transportation mandate was also lifted. This point needs to be discussed, because if a majority of Lyft drivers do not feel comfortable driving students maskless, that should also be understood and respected.
We also need to recognize the blatant point that sometimes with free things, people can become rude. Unlike Uber, if a passenger has fewer than 25 rides on Lyft, their rating simply says “new” instead of a numbered rating. This notion, in combination with the fact that USC passengers aren’t getting charged in the specified zone, demonstrates room for entitlement.
Though having the Fryft zone expansion would be incredibly beneficial to USC students, this request cannot be made until everyone fully understands how important it is to treat the Lyft drivers with respect and compassion.