Tales of the Uber/Lyft Driver: Ride-sharing vs. Ride-Hailing

Most of the time, people refer to services such as Uber and Lyft as "ride-sharing" services. This is actually a misnomer, but one that both companies would probably like to encourage. In actuality, they are "ride-hailing" services. There is a difference. In the early days, both Uber and Lyft were ride-sharing services. They paired drivers who were going to a specific destination with passengers who also wanted to go to the same destination. They would share the ride to that destination. Ride-sharing is nice, but it can only go so far. How do you serve someone who wants to go someplace but there are no drivers who are already going there? That's where ride-hailing comes in. Functioning much like a regular taxi service, ride-hailing services allow passengers who want to go to specific destinations to find drivers who will take them there, no matter whether that destination is the local drug store or Aunt Martha's house. There are a few companies out there that still do ride-sharing but they are tiny in comparison to Uber or Lyft. Many operate on a carpool model to make it more financially feasible for the driver. It's like nails on a chalkboard for me to hear people refer to Uber and Lyft as ride-sharing services but even I will slip up and do it just so people know what I'm talking about.