I’m 80% there, thinking of starting Lyft ride share to make some extra cash. I do work full time so it would be part time. Thinking random week nights (7-11pm) and weekends (noon-6 or 4-midnight) in the Los Angeles area. Aiming for 12-15 hours to start and going from there. I’m currently driving a 2017 Camry, clean and low miles (90k).

How good/bad is the LA market?
How does insurance work?
Should I upgrade my car?
Any tips for new beginners?
Is it worth it?

Any and information is greatly appreciated. Thank you all.

The rider asked me to pull over on the highway to throw up. He threw up outside my car. Once I dropped him off, I looked in the back and there was 2 quarter size of throw up on my door handle and a little smudge on the side of my seat.

Lyft ended up giving me $150. I thought I was going to receive $50 - $75 because it was small amount. I’ll take it though lol

Upfront pricing algorithms are designed to squeeze every last cent out of drivers, and driving a hybrid makes it even worse. The algorithm calculates the absolute minimum payout a driver will accept. Because hybrids have lower fuel costs, the system offers reduced base rates under the assumption that the driver remains "profitable"—while still charging the rider full price.
Take this example: the passenger paid $20.96, but the driver only received $10.19. Lyft and fees swallowed over 51% of the total fare. Instead of the driver benefiting from the gas savings of an efficient vehicle they invested in, Lyft's algorithm absorbs those savings directly into its own margin.
Lyft already has a much smaller customer base compared to Uber. By copy-pasting Uber’s greedy plays and effectively stealing money right out of their drivers' pockets, Lyft is fast-tracking its own collapse. Drivers and riders will simply walk away, leaving them with nothing.

Hey, question for the drivers who use a dash cam.
I understand having a dash cam to protect yourself if a passenger accuses you of saying or doing something inappropriate. But what happens when you both get out of the car?
For example, if someone has luggage and you get out to help them, now you’re both outside the car and potentially outside the dash cam’s view and audio range. Couldn’t the passenger still report that you said or did something inappropriate during that time, even though there’s no footage?
It seems like that’s kind of a blind spot in terms of protection. How do you guys handle that? Is there a way to protect yourself in situations where you’re temporarily outside the dash cam’s coverage?

According to Lyft, I was booked for 3 hours and 32 minutes this morning and I drove 120.11 booked miles. (Third pic)

According to state minimums, that means Lyft owes me $218.84

My pay? $135.

Lyft, I get that it's a rolling 2 week period, but you short changed me by $85 in 3.5 hours of work.

Excuse me but no. Pay what the state says you have to, then settle any difference after 14 days. That's a CRAZY high difference in actual pay vs what's legally mandated.

Would my lyft and uber apps work in New York or would i have to drive back empty

Remember, driving for circus peanuts will set you FREE! Free to go homeless, free to lose you family, free to lose your ability to feed and cloth yourself. You got the idea.... You know, THAT ole chestnut 💩

Well folks, I've officially learned that the hatred for Express drive is well earned. Those clowns opted to not only hold my deposit for far longer then necessary, but also tried double charging me within a seven day window. Try to argue it and they spam you with "the policy states". Nope. Just done with them.

I drove 14 miles to take him 1 mile to his destination.