Lyft’s new feature lets women and non-binary riders request their driver’s gender | CNN Business
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Lyft is introducing a new feature that lets women and non-binary riders choose a preference to match with drivers of the same gender.

Lyft is introducing a new feature that lets women and non-binary riders choose a preference to match with drivers of the same gender.

The ride-hailing company said it was a “highly requested feature” in a blog post Tuesday, saying the new feature allows women and non-binary people to “feel that much more confident” in using Lyft and also hopefully encourage more women to sign up to be drivers to access its “flexible earning opportunities.”

The service, called “Women+ Connect,” is rolling out in the coming months. Riders can turn on the option in the Lyft app, however the company warns that it’s not a guarantee that they’ll be matched with a women or non-binary person if one of those people aren’t nearby. Both the riders and drivers will need to opt-in to the feature for it work and riders must chose a gender for it to work.

  • Tb0n3@sh.itjust.works
    0·
    1 year ago

    What’s next? The “no blacks” option? I’m sure you can find studies to validate that fear too.

    • The Pantser@lemmy.world
      0·
      1 year ago

      Lately we seem to be going backwards in equality. Men are getting shat on, especially those that haven’t even committed the atrocities they are being punished for.

      Why pick and choose who can use the feature to request gender. Make it fair and allow everyone or none.

        • The Pantser@lemmy.world
          0·
          1 year ago

          It’s not equal if it gives special treatment to one but not both. Why can’t I request a specific driver as a man. What if I don’t feel safe with a woman driver based on stereotypes like the woman and trans passengers are. If they assume the male driver is going to make comments or passes at them then I as a male passenger should be able to assume the woman driver might be bad and get me in an accident.

          • ParsnipWitch@feddit.de
            0·
            1 year ago

            Statistics and rational thought is not on your side here. You just come off as incredibly unempathetic. Imagine being so butthurt of something not revolving around yourself that you get angry at a feature that will increase the safety of other people.

    • exussum@lemmy.world
      0·
      1 year ago

      This is the dumbest take I’ve seen. What are you even getting on about. This is just rancid bigotry veiled as concern.

      What are you even basing this on? Are you afraid of black people? Or do you just hate the LGBTQIA+ community and women? Or are you still privileged as one of those two that you don’t use Uber and are just spreading shits because you can?

      • Abnorc@lemm.eeEnglish
        0·
        1 year ago

        Like it or not, Lyft is helping customers discriminate on the basis of gender. It may not have come from bad intentions, but it could have bad consequences. I’m not sure which genders will be less popular as a result of this, but they may have a harder time generating an income from Lyft. (If this feature takes off.)

        I’m not saying that this feature necessarily has no place. I can empathize with people wanting to pick the gender of their driver, but it may not end up being fair for everyone.

        • exussum@lemmy.world
          0·
          1 year ago

          If you could empathize, then you’d understand how shitty of a sentence, “WhAt abOUT BlAckS,” is. Or, “It’s okay to ignore the problem 'cause it’s not fair to men.”

          Really think about it. Guys have no choice but to not have the option. What is taken away? This is the same BS as, “Why do we need a lactation room? MEN can’t use it.” “How come women get days off for their PMS-related things, I don’t menstruate.”

          • Tb0n3@sh.itjust.works
            0·
            1 year ago

            I’m just calling out discrimination by comparing it to discrimination. Just because you think one is better than the other doesn’t mean other people do.

            • ParsnipWitch@feddit.de
              0·
              1 year ago

              This is just getting butthurt for an absolutely silly reason and simultaneously showing no empathy at all.

              Let’s get the facts down:

              • For men nothing changes.

              • Women are disproportionately affected by sexual harassment and assault by male drivers.

              • Women and non-binary people get the option to use a probably paid feature to have drivers of their own gender because the companies want more customers and women and non-binary people don’t use their service since they are scared.

              The reaction here in the comments isn’t “omg I didn’t know it was so unsafe for some people to use these services” or “good for them to make more people feel safe”. No.

              The reaction is: “Why do THEY get a feature I don’t?? I demand to also get this, they shouldn’t have something I can’t have!! Sexist misandrists!”