Uber is not as great in NYC as it was in Mexico City or Scottsdale. The min fare is $8 inspiring me to walk two miles to the bar instead of giving away my gold. Since it’s been warm in NYC, I don’t mind doing so. But, when the cold does come and I’m sure that it is coming, that $8 will be worth the cost of admission.
Yesterday, I soberly stumbled upon a ‘trick’ that reduces my Uber fare by 25%. It’s called uberPOOL. The idea is that your Uber becomes a carpool which may mean multiple stops before reaching your destination. You set your destination ahead of time so I’m guessing that the other passengers have to be going in the same general direction. Still, what you save in money, you pay for in time.
However, if you’re a creature of the night like me, you can still order uberPOOL and chances are you will be the only one in the car. By default, Uber sets your number of passengers to two so that further reduces the odds of multiple passengers. I’ve tried this in Brooklyn and Manhattan and I was always alone. The driver confirmed that he gets paid the same so the overly sensitive Uber supporter can rest easy.
Worst case, it doesn’t work and maybe you’ll make friends with the other passenger. Maybe the Uber driver will see that you are nice to strangers and up your Uber rating, something that is getting way more attention than it deserves these days.
