If something seems too good to be true, it either is or eventually will be. Take, for example, Uber’s e-hailing option: Starting on Wednesday, Uber is charging a $2 “booking fee” for the formerly free uberT, which allows people to summon yellow and green taxis that happen to be in their area. (Riders then pay the drivers directly, as they would have had they flagged down the car themselves.) “The fee is a small charge added to uberT trips on behalf of yellow and boro taxi drivers who utilize the Uber platform,” explained a memo sent to Uber users, though there is no reason to believe that the extra money will actually go to the drivers. “The fee will be collected through the app and billed to the card on file at the end of your ride.” The note also “[took] the opportunity” to remind users of the existence of uberX, which boasts prices “cheaper than an NYC taxi” — especially when that taxi costs an extra two bucks. Back to hailing cabs the old-fashioned way.
