Uber charged motorist stranded on I-95 in the snow storm $700 for his ride

A man attempting to get home from a trip to California was charged a whopping $700 for an Uber trip during which he and the rideshare driver got caught in the 48-mile backup on Interstate 95 that occurred earlier this week.

Andrew Peters had decided to "Uber" the 127 miles from Dulles International Airport, in northern Virginia, to his home in Richmond, Virginia – a $200 trip. But he and the driver almost immediately got stuck.

"We hopped on the first exit and then it was just, we stopped moving right there," Peters told a local NBC-TV station in Washington, D.C. "There were cars behind us. There was nowhere to go. It was like being in some weird parking lot."  

After spending 14 hours total on the trip, Peters made it to his destination and tipped his driver $100. Later, though, the rideshare service added an unexpected $400 surcharge, which brought the trip total to $701.47. Peters' flight from San Francisco to Dulles cost just $300, for context.

"It ticked me off because I had no way of knowing that I would be stuck in this traffic jam for that long, and I don’t feel like that’s fair because they have the directions. I have no say in which way the Uber goes," he said. 

Ultimately, Uber returned the money to Peters and thanked him for his patience.

"We’re glad that he and the driver got home safely," said the company.

Peters confirmed that in 2022 he has resolved to be more thoughtful about calling a rideshare in the snow.