<i>That&#x27;s the whole reason they have surge pricing: to get more drivers out during those times to handle the load.</i><p>As with all such systems, it is eminently gamed by the participants. Uber drivers intentionally stay offline in the driver app, wait until surge areas appear on the rider app, race to the surge area and the logs into the driver app. While it is responding to a &quot;shortage&quot;, it&#x27;s an entirely artificial shortage not unlike the Enron debacle in California.<p>Consider the recent case of the guy in Edmonton with the one hour, $1100 ride. Would anyone seriously argue that only one driver was willing to provide such a ride for $1100? How about for $500? $250? (Add that Alberta current has a serious employment issue as well) Any arguments about supply&#x2F;demand are rendering absurd by that simple example.<p>(by default my posts are dead so this is for the edification of the showdead few)