WASHINGTON — Order a rolling photo booth opportunity, complete with karaoke holiday songs, and Lyft will donate the proceeds from your D.C. ride to a local charity.
Lyft Merry Mode is available in Washington through Sunday.
“The fare that would typically go to Lyft instead is going to Martha’s Table, which is a local community nonprofit that helping children, families and the communities here,” said Lyft mid-Atlantic General Manager Steve Taylor.
“This is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen,” said Jen Middleton, of AU Park. Middleton happened to be walking by with her dog Basil while the car visited WTOP. She couldn’t resist an invitation to try out karaoke inside the car with a rendition of “Jingle Bell Rock.”
“I think it’s fun — what a great way to get into the Christmas spirit,” Middleton said. Then, noting the Hanukkah Karaoke and photo-prop options inside the car, she exclaimed: “Yeah, Hanukkah too — the holiday spirit!”
Props for riders during their ride also include a holiday sweater and Santa hats.
Taylor describes the Merry Mode cars as having been “yarn-bombed” with “ugly sweaters” that took professionals three days to knit, but observers found the results quite lovely when observing the car that visited WTOP.
“I’m impressed; I’m very impressed. It’s got a lot of great details,” said Kelly Loggins, of Vienna.
“This would make a very warm car,” Justin Johansen, of McLean, said with a laugh about the sweater-wrapped vehicle.
“Pull over safely if you want to take a look,” Lyft driver Djuana Turner, of Southern Maryland, cautioned other drivers who might notice the vehicle on the road. “Look responsibly.”
Merry Mode will be live in D.C. at the following times:
- 3 p.m. — midnight Thursday, Dec. 14
- 3 p.m. — midnight Friday, Dec. 15
- Noon — midnight Saturday, Dec. 16
- Noon — 10 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17