My 300 Mile Lyft Ride From Chicago to Bradford • Hacker News Board

Re: My 300 Mile Lyft Ride From Chicago to Bradford

#21

Post by logfromblammo » Tue, Jul 23, 2019, 9:24 PM UTC

An interesting solution, but I probably would have tried a Penske box truck first. I wouldn't entirely trust a U-Haul to make it the full 300 miles without some kind of a mechanical problem, even when the box is empty except for my suitcase and carry-on.

Moving truck rentals are better set-up to do one-way trips than the airport car rentals. Also, you won't get the airport surcharge. Might be a little more expensive than a car rental or the Lyft, but I guess you could always fill up the truck with Chicagoland-specific goods, if you wanted.

Re: My 300 Mile Lyft Ride From Chicago to Bradford

#22

Post by jandrese » Tue, Jul 23, 2019, 9:24 PM UTC

kevin_b_er wrote: post #6

The utter inability to get a one-way rental is quite obnoxious. Also the bit about how he was able to reserve a car, but he wasn't a charter flight. Hertz's utter incompetence on the phone was striking as well from some sort of bizarro catch-22 world.

That seems like normal this-world Hertz incompetence to me. The best and brightest people do not sign up to stand behind a booth at a car rental agency.

Re: My 300 Mile Lyft Ride From Chicago to Bradford

#23

Post by morganvachon » Tue, Jul 23, 2019, 9:46 PM UTC

jandrese wrote: post #22

kevin_b_er wrote: post #6

The utter inability to get a one-way rental is quite obnoxious. Also the bit about how he was able to reserve a car, but he wasn't a charter flight. Hertz's utter incompetence on the phone was striking as well from some sort of bizarro catch-22 world.

That seems like normal this-world Hertz incompetence to me. The best and brightest people do not sign up to stand behind a booth at a car rental agency.

> The best and brightest people do not sign up to stand behind a booth at a car rental agency.

According to the article, the guy behind the counter at Hertz agreed with the author about their insane charter flight policy, and tried to help him fix the situation, but was powerless. The red tape was all above his head and much of the confusion/frustration was on the phone with customer support.

Re: My 300 Mile Lyft Ride From Chicago to Bradford

#24

Post by khrbrt » Tue, Jul 23, 2019, 9:47 PM UTC

This is why we need a train system with funding parity to the highway and airport systems. There should be trains leaving constantly, at most every 10 minutes, from Chicago to the east, and frequent, semihourly, trains between neighboring cities along the way.

Even if the author could rent a car, having to drive 300 miles is astounding waste of time and mental energy.

Re: My 300 Mile Lyft Ride From Chicago to Bradford

#25

Post by gregkerzhner » Tue, Jul 23, 2019, 9:51 PM UTC

bryanlarsen wrote: post #19

Since the driver would have had to dead head back to Chicago, if his expenses were a not unreasonable 0.50 cents per mile, the only profit the driver made was the tip.

If the driver drove 600 miles and his car got 25 miles to the gallon, at $3 a gallon his gas expenses would have only been $72. Of course there are other costs (maintenance, depreciation), but those also exists if you are just driving your car around town, and I think Uber / Lift's whole business model is based on the driver not really taking them into account. If the tip was $100, the driver would have walked away with $330 in cash after the drive - which is not bad for a 10 hour workday.

Re: My 300 Mile Lyft Ride From Chicago to Bradford

#26

Post by f5thesystem » Tue, Jul 23, 2019, 9:52 PM UTC

khrbrt wrote: post #24

This is why we need a train system with funding parity to the highway and airport systems. There should be trains leaving constantly, at most every 10 minutes, from Chicago to the east, and frequent, semihourly, trains between neighboring cities along the way. Even if the author could rent a car, having to drive 300 miles is astounding waste of time and mental energy.

Ohio had plans to connect Toledo, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Columbus, however the Governor at the time turned down the federal money.

Re: My 300 Mile Lyft Ride From Chicago to Bradford

#27

Post by syntheticnature » Tue, Jul 23, 2019, 9:52 PM UTC

bryanlarsen wrote: post #19

Since the driver would have had to dead head back to Chicago, if his expenses were a not unreasonable 0.50 cents per mile, the only profit the driver made was the tip.

Worth noting, as detailed in the comments, that not only was the tip significant, but gas, tolls, and food were covered by the author.

Re: My 300 Mile Lyft Ride From Chicago to Bradford

#28

Post by sokoloff » Tue, Jul 23, 2019, 9:54 PM UTC

bryanlarsen wrote: post #19

Since the driver would have had to dead head back to Chicago, if his expenses were a not unreasonable 0.50 cents per mile, the only profit the driver made was the tip.

Variable expenses on a car you already own are nowhere near $0.50/mile. (The GSA/IRS figure includes apportioned fixed costs, which do not fully apply here, IMO.)

Re: My 300 Mile Lyft Ride From Chicago to Bradford

#29

Post by refurb » Tue, Jul 23, 2019, 9:55 PM UTC

khrbrt wrote: post #24

This is why we need a train system with funding parity to the highway and airport systems. There should be trains leaving constantly, at most every 10 minutes, from Chicago to the east, and frequent, semihourly, trains between neighboring cities along the way. Even if the author could rent a car, having to drive 300 miles is astounding waste of time and mental energy.

I can’t imagine a train leaving every 10 minutes could ever be cost effective. There just aren’t that many people who want to do that trip (8 hours?) when you could do it in 2 hours by plane.

Re: My 300 Mile Lyft Ride From Chicago to Bradford

#30

Post by refurb » Tue, Jul 23, 2019, 9:56 PM UTC

bryanlarsen wrote: post #19

Since the driver would have had to dead head back to Chicago, if his expenses were a not unreasonable 0.50 cents per mile, the only profit the driver made was the tip.

From talking to Lyft drivers, you can specify where your last ride takes you. I’ve heard of people doing that from Sacremento to SF and back.

Now can you do that from Dayton to Chicago? I’d be interested to know. You could potentially piece a trip back together with a mix of rides and deadheads.