It sounds to me like a service to help non-blacks get away from blacks.
For people who ride public transport, all the low-lifes, transients, parolees and welfare users on board make the experience miserable, and a disproportionate number of these low-performers are black. Non-blacks will not use public transport with large numbers of lower class blacks, if they have a choice. Non-blacks don’t like to live around lower class blacks and do all they can to avoid black neighborhoods and large numbers of blacks in almost any context.
Given the astronomical black crime rate, this might be a rational choice, even if many individual blacks are wonderful.
According to Pew Research Center data, “Americans who are lower-income, black or Hispanic, immigrants or under 50 are especially likely to use public transportation on a regular basis.” Meanwhile ride-hailing apps, reports Pew, are especially popular among college grads with incomes above $75,000 a year. You don’t need a route map to see where this is going.
Lyft, for its part, has carefully avoided the word “bus.” But whatever we call it, Lyft Shuttle is just another way that wealthier Americans are paying for reliable and convenient services rather than demanding improvements to existing public goods.
Services like Lyft are also giving customers the ability to live insulated from those who have less money. That’s a time-honored tradition. To take just a few examples:
The Los Angeles Country Club: A park without poor people. Do you love to socialize outdoors but shudder at the thought of a less-than-pristine restroom situation, a raucous barbecue nearby, or a germy drinking fountain? Try this innovative, membership-based solution.
Carbon Beach: A beach without poor people. Ok, so technically it’s a public beach, but with confusing signage and a hostile attitude toward strangers who happen to venture onto the sand, it’s effectively private. Sunbathe without ever having to worry about bumping into a weird old stoner dude or a picnicking family again!
Postmates: Meals on Wheels without poor people. Sure, you are physically and financially able to go to the grocery store, but your time is valuable. Just get dinner delivered, plate it at home, and it’s almost like you’ve got a private chef. You’ll never have to cross paths with someone using food stamps again! If you’re a real DIY type, try a meal-kit service like Blue Apron for a similar effect.
Private jets: Air travel without poor people. Sick of sneezing seatmates and crammed overhead bins? Hate the looks that fellow travelers give you as they file back to economy class, where they’ve paid $60 for an additional four inches of legroom? There’s a better way!
