TAMPA, Fla. — If you get around town using rideshare apps, or if you like to have your food delivered by DoorDash, be warned that a Valentine’s Day protest could leave you stranded or maybe hungry.
Thousands of drivers are vowing to turn off their phones in 10 U.S. cities — and Tampa is one of them.
“I don't wanna see anybody with Lyft or Uber driving. I'm not going to drive,” said Andres Pardo, a rideshare driver planning to participate in the protest.
Pardo says he’s been a Lyft driver for close to seven years now. He says he’ll join thousands of other Uber, Lyft and DoorDash drivers across the country who won’t be driving this Valentine’s Day.
Instead, they will be protesting against what they say are low pay and sometimes unsafe working conditions.
“I know it's going to be hard for everybody,” Pardo said. “But we need to show some you know, reaction to the situation.”
A union representing about 100,000 rideshare drivers says its members won’t be accepting requests at 10 airports around the country, including three in Florida: Miami, Orlando and Tampa International.
Drivers say they hope it sends a message, but also hope frustrated customers will understand.
“You know this is our living,” said Christina Roberts, who drives to support her four children. “And we have to do this.”
“Just understand that we have to do what we have to do to survive,” driver Phil Houdek said.
“I want them to be understanding - nothing against me,” Pardo said. “It's nothing against the customers.”
While safety has long been a concern, drivers say they also need to take home more of what they earn. CBS News reporting found Uber claims its drivers make about $33 an hour. Lyft is close to that at $31.
But after expenses, that number drops to around $23.50.
“We have to have an income. We've got wear and tear on our vehicle all the time. I just bought a new vehicle,” Houdek said. “We've got car payments. We've got bills to pay. We've got families to support.”
“It's just going to be one day,” Pardo said. “Because I cannot do more than one day. I need the money – I need to pay many bills.”
In hopes of easing customer concerns, Uber released a statement saying a driver protest last year had no impact on their overall business.
Organizers of the Valentine’s Day protest say it marks the first major action of rideshare workers in Florida this year and the first-ever rideshare strike in Tampa since Uber started in 2014.