I switched to Lyft last week after my first time trying the service. For precisely the same reasons you mentioned, the pink mustaches + forced human touching, I never felt the desire to try them out. After half a dozen Lyft trips last week in DC and another 6 or so in SF this week, I’ve noticed a marked difference: The drivers are generally more pleasant and less awkward. I attribute this to the ability to tip the driver. Also the Lyft cars have been noticeably cleaner/nicer, in DC at least, and I assumed that was the app favoring nicer cars for a new customer.

My second or third driver in DC drove exclusively for Lyft because of the tipping functionality. I told him I had just begun trying out Lyft instead of Uber and he told me 90% of the people he picked up that week had told him the exact same thing. I imagine this phenomena is particularly acute in DC where the Trump/Uber connection is more polarizing and top of mind.