Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

From the AG's announcement (and Uber's announcement promises to abide by this definition):

New York’s law against price gouging (General Business Law §396-r), was passed in the winter of 1978-79 in response to escalating heating oil prices. It defines an “abnormal disruption of the market” as “any change in the market, whether actual or imminently threatened, resulting from stress of weather, convulsion of nature, failure or shortage of electric power or other source of energy, strike, civil disorder, war, military action, national or local emergency, or other cause of an abnormal disruption of the market which results in the declaration of a state of emergency by the governor.”



So now they can't do surge pricing when it rains? The main reason I like Uber in NYC is because it is impossible to get a taxi when it's raining. Seems like this would ruin a big chunk of their value proposition.


It doesn't say they can't do surge pricing; they just have a cap on how high it can go during an emergency.


Who decides when a marked disruption is 'abnormal'?




Consider applying for YC's Fall 2026 batch! Applications are open till July 27.

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: