Critics rage at Uber over surge pricing during London terror attacks

[applegrove]

David Ferguson at Raw Story

http://www.rawstory.com/2017/06/critics-rage-at-uber-over-surge-pricing-during-london-terror-attacks/

"SNIP................


Ride-sharing app Uber is being criticized for charging riders inflated rates during the terror attacks in London on Saturday night.

CNN Money reported that evacuees and riders fleeing the killing “frenzy” in which at least seven people died and scores were injured were charged “surge pricing” — a practice in which the company charges a higher rate because so many people are requesting rides.

“Hey @Uber — you’re really going to surge price x2.1 during a terrorist attack in #London??? Lower than low. #londonbridge #emergency,” tweeted one user during the emergency.


.................SNIP"

[SHRED]

1. Boycott them.

[Takket]

2. is the surge pricing automated or is someone manually inputting it?

[applegrove]

4. Maybe automated. Still they are a huge corporation. They should be on the ball. Two weeks

ago taxi drivers in Manchester gave free rides to kids wherever they needed to go. Uber should have taken note.

[CincyDem]

3. Likely an algorithm that knew nothing about the cause of the increased demand.

They need to get some kind of human override that will allow some local manager to kick in a code and shut down the machine-think when there's an emergency. The 2.1x factor wasn't a decision in the moment - it's they're supply/demand system.

[applegrove]

5. They need to get on that.

[Bucky]

6. Interesting

Like many service-industry businesses, they have variable scale pricing.

* Night time rates
* Day time rates
* Peak hour rates
* Life-or-death situation rates

I'm sure it's all in their brochures.

[msongs]

7. great way for terrorists to get around town eh? to them price is not likely a prob nt

[Squinch]

8. They're so shady. I'm going Lyft from now on.