I think this is the core of why everyone disagrees about Uber. In certain cities (Boston, SF) it is a lifesaver. Here in NYC it's a waste of money- yellow cabs really aren't that bad or scarce. There are times of day when it's difficult to get a yellow cab, but that's the exact same time that it's difficult to get an Uber cab- either that or you're paying 2.5x the already expensive price because they switched on surge pricing.