If you had taken Uber X and the driver cut through Staten Island, you actually would not have been charged the two $20 tolls. But Uber Pool charges the tolls separately.
Another quirk with upfront pricing I have observed.
Since I only want to get more money from Uber and not rip off the passengers, I actually would only go through Staten Island if it was Uber X and not if it’s Pool.
For such a trip I would actually tell the passengers up front that it’s faster to go through Staten Island and guarantee them that the fare would be the same or else I would fully refund their trip and eat the toll myself.
It’s a gamble with the odds in my favor.
I usually win on those gambles. I usually take people from the Phillies stadium to Center City via the Walt and the Ben, essentially cutting through NJ because it is usually faster according to Waze. I would get two $5 toll reimbursements and only pay $5. 15 times this season I did that. I always say up front to the passenger that their upfront fare will be the same or else I will refund the whole trip. I only had to refund once.
