Uber, Lyft drivers manipulate fares at National Airport, causing artificial price surges

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Full disclosure: WJLA is owned by Sinclair Broadcasting. Local stories may reflect the interests of Sinclair.

Hat tip: a commenter at ARLnow.com

Uber, Lyft drivers manipulate fares at Reagan National causing artificial price surges
by Sam Sweeney, WJLA Thursday, May 16th 2019

ARLINGTON, Va. (WJLA) — Every night, several times a night, Uber and Lyft drivers at Reagan National Airport simultaneously turn off their ride share apps for a minute or two to trick the app into thinking there are no drivers available---creating a price surge. When the fare goes high enough, the drivers turn their apps back on and lock into the higher fare.

It's happening in the Uber and Lyft parking lot outside Reagan National airport. The lot fills with 120 to 150 drivers sometimes for hours, waiting for the busy evening rush. And nearly all the drivers have one complaint:

“Uber doesn’t pay us enough, what the company is doing is defrauding all these people by taking 35-40 percent,” one driver told ABC 7.

[Recursion]

1. *shrug* that's the market price, then

It seems Uber is delivering actual competition despite itself.

[msongs]

2. dear drivers, it's not fraud if both parties agree to it upfront nt