A New Button Will Soon Redirect Your Rideshare Driver to the Nearest Tacos—But the Drivers Aren't Happy

When we think about humanity’s greatest achievements, we tend to focus on things like walking on the moon, penicillin, or electricity. But it’s possible that all those triumphs are about to become footnotes in history after a new announcement that might have signaled the peak of mankind’s brilliance.

It’s a button that drives you to tacos.

Or, more specifically, it’s a “taco mode” option being added to Lyft apps that will give riders the ability to automatically add a stop at the nearest Taco Bell location on the way to their destination. The move marks a new partnership between the rideshare app and Taco Bell that will begin rolling out for testing in Orange County, CA in the near future, with plans to expand nationally if the pilot run is a success.

The Taco Mode would be in effect during the hours of 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., which is what Taco Bell typically refers to as the “fourth meal” hours. We typically refer to it as the “most likely to be drunk and want a cheesy gordita and some cinnamon twists” hours.

But Lyft drivers aren’t exactly thrilled about the rideshare app's attempt at taco-innovation. According to Fortune, drivers tend to make most of their money based on mileage, not duration, earning only around 7.5 cents per minute of waiting. Which in theory means that a 20-minute wait in a Taco Bell drive-through nets out to only $1.50 for the driver…which is not exactly a sweet return on investment.

Despite these criticisms, Lyft doesn’t believe Taco Mode will be a bust. In a tweet, the company made it clear that the new feature will be completely optional for both riders and drivers, while also noting they plan to evaluate feedback from both to inform how Taco Mode would work moving forward.

So until the bugs are worked out and it's ready to roll out nationally, you'll probably need to get your taco fix on your own.