The other hack is to “pony express” in stages: use Lyft/Uber to get part way or to a mid point, where you are confident you CAN get a rental, a train/bus, or another Lyft/Uber to keep going.
This is especially useful if you can’t find a driver that will take you all the way.
I got in short but very loud argument with an airport taxi driver when I did this to get dropped off just outside the airport taxi zone. The “real” ride was 5x the price at the airport taxi rate vs taking an Uber. The louder the driver got, the more I realized how good of decision it was to get the hell out of his car.
in my experience airport taxi drivers all hate short trips. we used to live near an airport, and taking a taxi home was always a nerve-racking moment in how the driver would take it. usually they were grumpy which made for a frustrating experience.
Often the taxi driver has waited for a long time (sometimes hours) in the airport queue for it to be their turn to get a fare. If you take a $5 ride they’re upset because they invested all that time for no payoff. I don’t think it’s wrong for the passenger to do this, but I understand why it’s frustrating for the driver.
This is especially useful if you can’t find a driver that will take you all the way.