Lyft is an “on-demand” transportation service that costs about 30 percent less than a taxi would. In addition to it being cost effective, it is extremely convenient, fun and effortless to use. The way Lyft works is simple: Using the Lyft app, riders sign in through Facebook, enter a valid phone number, and connect their credit card to the app.

After opening the app, the passenger is able to peruse a map displaying the locations of the nearest Lyft drivers. Each bubble tapped on shows the driver’s name, his or her rating, and photos of both the driver and the car. The passenger can then request a ride. When the driver arrives, the passengers are greeted with a friendly fist-bumping welcome into the car, which are typically very clean, air conditioned, bumping music and sometimes even offer snacks of some sort. After the ride, payment is made directly through the app.

San Diego is the sixth Lyft city, after San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago and Boston. A lot of the success of Lyft has to do with the word of mouth interest.

The demand has gone through the roof since summer of 2012 when it first launched in San Francisco. Since then, it has expanded to 19 cities and facilitates more than 30,000 rides per week. Ask anyone if they have seen a car with a pink mustache on the bumper, and their answer will most likely be, “Yes.” They did this for riders to be able to identify the car.

In March, Lyft launched “Happy Hour,” a new feature that will appear within the app at slower times on the road where pricing will oscillate based on supply and demand. Requested rides can reach a discounted price of up to 50 percent, which people can choose to take advantage of. The friendly drivers, the fist-bump and the symbolic pink mustache are the little details that bring smiles and fun to both the drivers and riders alike. If the company’s recent successes are still not enough to convince potential new customers, its slogan just might: “Your friend with a car.”