At some point we've all used a ride-sharing service in the thick of peak surcharge hours — and paid through the nose for it. And, we're not just talking about being taken advantage of on holidays like Halloween. Prices that exceed the regular fare by 10 times are a total norm at this point. Luckily, there's a way to beat the system the next time you want to head across town in the middle of rush hour: a new app called SurgeProtector.
Not sure if this app sounds completely awesome or just a little bit silly? We downloaded it to see for ourselves and were pleasantly surprised. It's super-straightforward; the app takes your location and shows the areas closest to you with the lowest to no surge pricing. From there, you can select which car you'd like (black, taxi, or pool), and SurgeProtector pinpoints that locale and redirects you to Uber.
Sure, you may have walk a few blocks (which may defeat the purpose?), and having to go through an extra step is never fun, but at least you never have to wake up after a wild night out and realize you spent hundreds of dollars just to get home — as long as you remember to use the extra app!