In a press release that is sure to send Lyft drivers completely off the wall, the company announced that passengers will soon be able to add multiple stops to a trip. While CNet reports that this new feature will enable you to pick up and drop off friends without having to hail multiple rides, the Lyft announcement itself proposes a different use: Forcing drivers to wait for you while you run errands.
"Whether you’re picking up a friend or a bottle of vino, just add your stop into the app and your route will instantly update — making it a seamless experience for you and your driver," the announcement reads.
But wait, picking up wine? Like, wouldn't that necessitate going into a store while your driver waits outside? Yes, and there's more. "Think of how an extra stop can add to your day — maybe it’s grabbing a coffee on the way to work or your dry cleaning before going home," the press release continues. "We look forward making this available to you."
Being able to drop off a friend on the way home from a night out is a great feature that should have been added long ago, but having your driver circle the block while you discuss the merits of Blue Bottle's latest roast with a cute barista hardly seems like a foolproof idea or one without potential consequences for drivers, especially those who sit idle in bike lanes or otherwise blocking traffic, which the SFPD and SFMTA have reportedly been cracking down on more lately.
We reached out to Lyft for clarification, and a spokesperson confirmed that this is, in fact, one of the intended uses. "[The new feature is] more focused on dropping multiple people off vs. running errands," explained spokesperson Tim Rathschmidt. "In the errand use case, the Lyft driver would wait, but the 'meter' is still running!"
So there you have it. Enjoy the double parking, San Francisco.
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