A former semifinalist on NBC’s The Voice claims a Lyft driver tried to take her for a ride — but not the way she wanted to go.
Houston-based singer Dana Monique (@thedanamonique), who gained notoriety after appearing on Season 20 of The Voice, complains that a Lyft driver refused to complete service when she wouldn’t cancel her trip on the app and pay him directly.
On July 13, Monique took to her TikTok account to confront the company via social media. The video now has over 139,500 views and counting. In the video, captioned “@LFYT I WILL NEVER USE YOU AGAIN,” Monique states, “Y’all, I am super upset. I’ve never been so disrespected in my life.”
What Monique says happened
“I am in Fort Lauderdale and I have to get to the Miami airport,” Monique tells her viewers. That would be a distance of approximately 29.5 miles. “I called for a Lyft, Extra Comfort,” she claims, “I call Lyft, I pay $70 for the ride.”
But she claims that things went off the rail when the driver, who she identifies as “Leonard,” arrived to pick her up.
“He gets here and he tells me ‘Wait, before you get in I need to talk to you,’” she claims, “He told me that Lyft was only paying him $33, and if I wanted to cancel the ride and pay him his worth would be the only way he takes me to the airport.”
What does Lyft pay drivers?
According to Lyft’s website, “Drivers will earn 70% or more of passenger payments after external fees are deducted. This is the minimum drivers should expect to earn.” The site also states, “Drivers earn more on Extra Comfort rides than Standard rides.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Lyft via email for a statement.
Monique states that she did not agree to “Leonard’s” request to cancel her ride in the app.
“I said, ‘Sir, I only, I called Lyft, I don’t have anything to do with your technicalities,’” she claims. She then states he refused to complete her trip.
“I reported him [to Lyft] and they allowed this man to come back and he just picked up a white family, smirked in my face and drove off,” she alleges.
In the video’s comments section, Kimberly Farmer (@kimikazi6) wrote, “He thought he had a fool. Cause what did he expect you to do give him cash on top of the $70 you already paid??”
Is this against the rules?
Lyft’s terms page states, “With the exception of tips and the purchase of Lyft Cash, cash payments are strictly prohibited unless expressly permitted by Lyft.”
Another viewer stated, “Uber drivers do it too… it’s just people trying to hustle people.. it’s crazy out here”
“A lot of them are trying to do that now like…..I’m not getting in a car with no paper trail and your word bro,” another added.
@thedanamonique @LFYT I WILL NEVE USE YOU AGAIN
♬ original sound – The Dana Monique
Another stated bluntly, “bring back yellow cab.”
In a follow-up video, Monique noted that the only feedback she has received from Lyft so far is an email which she describes as “a generic response about calling 911.”
The video includes screenshots of the entire email.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Monique via email and TikTok messenger for further comment.
Update 5:40pm CT, July 26: In a comment to the Daily Dot, Monique wrote, “I only decided to share my story because I did not want to think that I was the only one that had experienced this. I need people to know what happened so that can share the steps on what to do to report someone who has wronged you. I never had anything like this happened to me. It was hurtful and it was embarrassing. In that moment it made me think that no matter how many steps we think we’ve accomplished as people moving forward in a world that discredits us for every little thing, that something as simple as a ride, can make someone think that you beneath them. LOVE BIG & BE KIND”
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