Dear Urban Diplomat: Do I have to pay my share of an outrageously expensive Uber ride?
My work buddy and I went to a show at the Amphitheatre and got pretty drunk, so we decided to cab home together. We couldn’t find a taxi—traffic was nuts—so he ordered an Uber. The next morning, he sent me a cheery text asking me to cover half the ride, which, because of surge pricing he neglected to mention, cost $200. I’d have never agreed had I known. Should I speak up or pay up?
—Taken for a Ride, Agincourt
On the one hand, your friend pressed the button, so he should have mentioned the price hike or offered to take the hit the next morning. On the other, you could have easily spotted the signs of a potential surge and asked. You were both squiffy, so trying to nail down who was more responsible—and how that translates into splitting the bill—will just make things weird at work. Be a mensch and cough up your portion. You’ll be out roughly $70 (the difference between half the Uber and half the $60 cab you’d have taken anyway), but if you can afford to get plastered at the Amphitheatre, I’m sure that’s chump change to you.
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