Episode 516: Why Paying $192 For A 5-Mile Car Ride May Be Rational : Planet Money Leaving money on the table. It's a concept economists hate and one that the app Uber is trying to solve. But is this startup really solving a problem by charging you more for your ride to work?
Episode 516: Why Paying $192 For A 5-Mile Car Ride May Be Rational
LUCY NICHOLSON/Reuters /Landov
Here's the scenario: A man and his wife are desperate to get to the hospital because she is about to deliver a baby. It's a hot summer day. It's rush hour. They flag down a private car and ask, "How much?" To their surprise the driver wants to charge them four times the normal price of a cab.
So, is this a story about a cabbie taking advantage of a vulnerable couple or is it simply good economics?
Today, we are talking about a company that charges people in desperate situations more for a ride, and we'll consider the argument that it might actually be better for everyone.
Music: Divine Fits's "Flaggin a Ride." Find us: Twitter/ Facebook/ Spotify/ Tumblr. Download the Planet Money iPhone App.