Uber Drivers Flock to Hamptons to Gain Partygoers’ Fares | Hacker News Reader

Uber Drivers Flock to Hamptons to Gain Partygoers’ Fares

bloomberg.com

23 pointszabalmendi7 comments

When I was in the Hamptons last year, getting a car was MAD expensive. This was before Uber had people come in, so they partnered with some car services so even Uber was like $150 minimum for a round-trip to go 2 miles. I'm not actually joking about that.

Even with a cut-rate car service, to go from our hotel to an event I was attending and back (and it was maybe 4 miles in distance, MAYBE), it was close to $100. And that was because we found a cheap car service.

I totally see Uber drivers who have high ratings and $15 minimums being able to clean UP over the summer.

The only thing is I wonder about the impact on the existing drivers. Part of the reason the prices are so nuts is that the town basically shuts down the other nine months of the year, so those drivers charge an arm and a leg because after that, that part of the island is just freaking dead.

Screw pissing off London cabbies, I'd seriously be scared of messing with Hamptons drivers...

The "local" drivers don't certainly all live in the Hamptons either. I worked at an ISP doing tech support while I was in high school, and one of the other guys also drove a cab in the Hamptons. This was 30-50 miles west of the Hamptons; yet still solidly Long Island (50 miles east of Manhattan) not the city.

That's a good point. I only knew of the driver we had, who was local, and had to go to do the opposite thing the other 9 months of the year (the occasional rich client airport run aside), but you're right, I totally expect that many of the drivers aren't local. I guess I was more thinking the cab companies themselves rather than the drivers.

Anecdotally, UberX will take you from East Hampton to Montauk for about $70-80, so prices have definitely come down this summer.

Getting back from the Surf Lodge, however...

Ah, good old supply and demand based surge pricing. One of the most unpopular features of Uber, but it works like a charm.

Actually, this has nothing to do with surge pricing. From the article:

"Working in the Hamptons is a perk for Uber’s top drivers. Only those with the highest ratings from riders -- at least a 4.7 out of 5 stars -- can operate in the area because “Uber wants to preserve its image keeping a high-standard of service,” Cosentino said."

I'm pretty sure they kick you off the uber system anywhere if your rating goes below 4.7

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