When 6 p.m. rolls around, no one is more excited than me to call a Shryft. After back-to-back classes and club meetings, walking around campus all day and sometimes even making a Trader Joe’s grocery run, a Shryft is is my saving grace. With my free ride home, I also get an opportunity to chat with my Lyft drivers, which is personally one of my favorite parts of the day. 

According to my own Lyft stats, I have taken just under 400 Lyfts since the start of my freshman year and the number will keep rising as I enter my senior year. While I don’t remember every driver I have had, there are a few that have stuck with me. From local musicians to painters, our USC-area Lyft drivers hold fun stories and tidbits about life in countless sectors. I’ll never forget the driver I had in my sophomore year who consoled my co-rider who was teary-eyed after their breakup. In many ways, a shared Lyft can create a small community full of support and potential connections up until you step out of the car.

But not all Shryft users are taking their time to build this mini five-minute-car-ride community. Safety is often the most important priority and giving details about yourself to a stranger should be done with caution — leaving some riders hesitant to start a conversation. Other students may just be exhausted or have had one of their worst days and can’t find it in themselves to chat with anyone — let alone a stranger who they may never see again.

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While this is totally understandable, ignoring your driver’s “hello” is just unkind. In my experience, I have even seen riders completely ignore their drivers confirming their name for the ride — how is anyone sure you’re in the right car? Not wanting to engage in a conversation about your major or hometown is one thing but completely ignoring your driver’s existence is another. 

The USC community often forgets our Lyft drivers are real people. They are members of the South Central community and are just trying to earn a living by driving students around a city that is often no longer recognizable to many of them due to gentrification. 

From gated entry points to scan-in systems, USC has created an environment that shelters its students from the surrounding South Central community. Shryft is one of the few ways USC students get to interact with the community that their University occupies. There is an underlying sense of entitlement among USC student riders who believe that drivers are simply there to do them a service, but service workers deserve respect and acknowledgment. Lyft drivers who I have spoken to in the past have said that it makes them feel small to drive people around who will not even look at them in their own car.

Not every driver wants to have a conversation either, and some may not even care if you say “hello.” In a perfect world, all they care about is making you feel comfortable and getting you to where you need to be — whether that means they engage in small talk or sit in silence. Whether you want to create that mini community or simply have a zen ride, many drivers will go either way. 

Yet, there is something to be said about picking up on your drivers’ cues, and them picking up on yours. If you miss out on the pleasantry of a “hello” because you were lugging your seven grocery bags into the back seat, then opt for a “thank you” and perhaps a “have a nice night” as you are exiting the car. My go-to is “drive safe”: It’s always a shock for some of them to hear that you care about their safety in the same way that they care about yours while you are riding. 

Of course, if you do ever feel unsafe in a Lyft, don’t feel pressured to say anything. Your safety always comes first. If you find that your driver is recklessly driving, road raging, doesn’t match their app image or asking inappropriate and uncomfortable questions, you should take action to ensure your safety, starting with sharing your ride details with a friend or family member. 

Asking your driver to be more road-cautious or informing them that they are being invasive is a great first step — but if you are not comfortable having these conversations, or if your driver will not stop, opt for ending the ride. If you’re afraid of asking to be let out, you can also add an additional stop at the closest location.

Otherwise, a simple “hello” and “thank you” during your drive can put your driver’s mind at ease, knowing that you — a stranger in their vehicle — are not a threat to them.  The next time you are in a Lyft, try sparking up a conversation with your driver and start your first mini community!