When you're so broke that an extra couple of dollars will put you in overdraft territory, it's not reasonable.

At least they inform you in most hotels. I have not used Lyft - I would hope they do the same.

Not to sound rude but someone who's that short on cash might be better off going by public transit, walking, or using a bicycle.

I use public transport for my daily commute. I use Uber for shopping 2 or 3 times per month, and only on the way back. I think it's tough to save more than that.

Any tips would be appreciated of course.

If you find yourself starting a comment with “not to sound rude”, you might consider whether skipping the comment altogether is the best way to not be rude.

It's a hold, not a charge.

It does sound reasonable, but only if you notify the user upfront. Do rental car companies charge you a $200 auth hold without telling you?

Proof that HN is out-of-touch...

This here doesn't apply.

Uber isn't a cash venture, and several activities in the US require either a credit card upon which temporary authorizations can be placed, or a full (and sometimes, over-)payment on a debit card, the difference being that the debit card isn't backed by a line of credit that becomes due in at least 20 days, but rather it is spent directly out of a checking account.

You need this for:

- gas stations

- hotel stays

- car rentals

- sit-down restaurants or bars

The SV/HN is out of touch argument doesn't fly here. Rather, there is a wide gulf in the spending ability and access to services between a US credit card owner therefore a participant in the mainstream banking system, vs. someone with only a checking account, vs. a person who can't qualify for either and conducts their affairs with cash. This is a problem much older and much more foundational than the Bay Area vs. everyone else and the techies and non-techies divide, and is a significant delineation between the US middle class and lower class.

My comment was directed specifically at this:

  Is ride-sharing that big of a cost for your day to day?

For a lot of people, it is. The only people I have ever heard say this kind of thing, at least from my experience, are middle-class and well-off, or better. This cohort is the exception, because the norm (especially among millenials) is check-to-check living. $25 is several days' worth of food, two weeks' coffee budget, the price of a full tank of gas for a small car, or numerous other things to many, and $25 can be the difference between your card going through or being declined.

Gas stations, restaurants, and bars , IME, have no problems with cash.

Yes if you don't have $25 you really should walk or take a train. Not sure that is a big reason to pick or not pick it.

>you really should walk or take a train

Truly reliable and useful public transit is a luxury in the United States that isn't available to a huge majority of the country.

Walking also isn't an option for many people due to safety, health reasons, scheduling, childcare needs, and not to mention just too much stuff to carry.

He lives in SF. He can walk or train where he needs to go.

Uber is a 2-3 times a month kind of thing; otherwise, I take the bus. More importantly, the $25 was completely unexpected.

Again, if you are cutting it that close you should not be taking "luxury" transportation, barring needing to go to the ER.. in which case, maybe that hold was worth it.