Getting into your rideshare car should be simple: you pay the fare, you get the ride. Unfortunately, one passenger recently found herself in a chaotic mid-trip argument when her Uber driver demanded cash for tolls she had already paid for.
The passenger, known online as Taylor, shared a video showing herself in the back of an Uber ride she had scheduled ahead of time for $80. She was heading to LaGuardia Airport from New Jersey on Christmas morning, a route that definitely involves some hefty tolls. Mid-trip, the driver abruptly demanded cash.
“You have to give me something now for the tolls,” the driver insisted. Taylor was understandably stunned, since she’d already paid a substantial fare for the trip. She pushed back, asking if the driver really wanted her to pay out of her own pocket. When the driver confirmed that he did, she announced she was getting out right then and there to call a new ride. She also made sure to mention that she was recording the whole interaction and would be reporting him.
You paid the fare, and that should be the end of the transaction
This whole situation is incredibly frustrating, especially when you’re trying to catch a flight. But here’s the key information you need to know: it is absolutely against Uber policy for a driver to ask you to pay for tolls in cash. If this happens to you, you should report the driver immediately. That’s one of the better corporate rules, to be honest.
The company is very clear about this rule. When you book a ride that goes through a toll or an area with a surcharge, that amount is already calculated and added to your final fare. That means the $80 Taylor paid already included the toll fees. If a driver asks you to cover the toll in cash, they are essentially double-dipping, and they are violating the company’s rules. The company’s policy is that if a passenger is asked to pay a toll in cash, they need to contact Uber to get the issue resolved.
So why would a driver risk their job to demand $20 or so for a toll? Commenters online were quick to offer some theories that provide important context, especially for the tri-state area. One user suggested the issue might revolve around getting reimbursed for the return trip. “He doesn’t get reimbursed for the tolls back to NJ. Once the ride is done. I think that’s what he is asking for,” the commenter wrote.
Another commenter noted that the app often takes a huge cut of the fare. One user shared that they paid $80 for a trip only to find out the driver received just $15. If the driver is only netting $15 on an $80 fare, I can totally see why they’d be desperate to recoup the toll money.
However, even if the drivers are struggling with low pay or poor reimbursement policies, it isn’t the passenger’s responsibility to pay them directly. That’s a risk they take by signing up to drive for the app in the first place, and they need to take up reimbursement issues directly with the company. At least, this Uber driver didn’t take the scenic route.
Published: Jan 6, 2026 02:00 pm