Lyft May Create ‘Zen Mode’ So You Don’t Always Have To Talk With The Driver

Eric Lieberman

Lyft, the ride-sharing little brother to Uber, is considering a feature in which a user can notify the driver that it doesn’t feel like talking.

The concept, which is for now referred to as “zen mode,” is very tentative and is not on the top of the list for company priorities.

“We have thought about it,” Taggart Matthiesen, head of product for autonomous driving for Lyft, told The Verge’s Casey Newton. “I think it’s interesting. At some point, we may play around with that idea, but that’s unfortunately not a feature at this point.”

The capability to politely and indirectly tell the driver to not converse with the rider would likely be much appreciated by users who are not necessarily surly, but just aren’t in the mood to chat at that particular moment. And some drivers may not want to feel the pressure to talk to their riders, which they may view as a good way to earn a five-star rating that accounts for friendliness among other factors.

Providing that option may be a win-win. It is almost certainly better than feigning deafness.

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