It’s snowing, so it must be time to be mad at Uber. (note, other common weather conditions for being mad at Uber include sunny, cloudy and night).
The on-demand ride service announced earlier today that it would cap “surge pricing” during today’s blizzard in New York City, in accordance with an agreement last year with New York’s attorney general. That deal came after Uber was accused of price gouging during Hurricane Sandy. Moreover, it will donate its share of any ride proceeds to the American Red Cross.
In a normal world, Uber would be hailed here for learning from past mistakes and evolving into a good corporate citizen. But because more than a few people mistake the company’s CEO for Monty Burns, some either are damning Uber with faint praise:
Aw, how sweet! @Uber says it will not gouge customers during the East Coast blizzard http://t.co/ctjr3aUeUJ
— Allison Sylte (@AllisonSylte) January 26, 2015
https://twitter.com/HenryBaker/status/559742292127674369
Or are suggesting that its blizzard strategy is actually part of a Machiavellian long-game:
Anyone else concerned @Uber will purposely limit supply during capped-surge so they can validate egregious #surgepricing all other times?
— Alpaca VC 🦙 (@alpacavc) January 26, 2015
But don’t think that this is the end of the complaints. I’d bet almost anything that we’ll later see tweets about how difficult it is to get an Uber, given that the 2.8x surge cap might not be enough incentive for drivers to brave blizzard conditions (particularly given that they pay their own auto insurance premiums). Or perhaps that there is an Uber stuck in the road, blocking a plow.
Here’s the most important thing to really remember about Uber , when it comes to this blizzard: If you have a problem with Uber, the problem is really with you.
YOU don’t need to go out for 24 hours, unless it is a health emergency. And, if it is a health emergency, YOU need an ambulance, not an Uber.
If, for some reason, YOU failed to prepare adequately for a highly-publicized storm and Uber is your only way to get some much-needed supply (from closed stores?), then don’t complain about price or availability. YOU brought it upon YOUrself.
Learn more about the upcoming storm from Fortune’s video team:
