If you're debating between taking a taxi or an Uber, you might want to stick with the taxi — at least for now.
A Central Florida man learned that the hard way recently after he was hit with a $180 fare when he took an Uber from Baldwin Park to International Drive — a 19-mile trip that should have cost less than $50.
Sandro Cornelio uses Uber frequently and said he never had a problem with the ride-hailing service until Friday night.
Before Cornelio ordered the Uber last week, he was told there would be a surcharge because of the rain and how busy it was that particular night.
"They didn't actually give me a price of what the total was," he said. "They just told me there was going to be a surcharge, and that was about it. The one thing you use Uber (for is) because it says it's going to cost you this much to get from Point A to Point B, but this time, all it said was there was going to be a surcharge."
Cornelio accepted the surcharge and expected to pay between $50 and $60 — the typical cost of a ride the distance he was looking to take.
Instead, he paid 3.6 times the normal price for a ride that, according to Uber's receipt, would have cost him $49.86. His bill was $179.50.
"I could've taken a plane for that," he said.
According to city of Orlando ordinances adopted for Uber, the city has no control over how high the surcharge could go or how often it could be in place.
Uber spokesman Taylor Bennett said via a phone interview that the surcharge is all about supply and demand. He said there is no way of knowing how high the surcharge could go.
"It is an algorithm," Bennett said. "When more cars are on the road and when you have more drivers out there, it brings that surge back down, and so you have normal prices again."
Bennett said he couldn't comment on Cornelio's case specifically, but he said even with the surcharge, taking an Uber is cheaper than taking a taxi. The rider has to "accept it," he said.
Cornelio said he won't accept an unknown surcharge next time he calls for an Uber.