Uber Launching Carpool App In NYC

You have so many new friends to make.

Uber, the e-hail company that will ostensibly one day replace the U.S. government and rule the Western Hemisphere with an ethically questionable fist, has launched a new carpool app that'll "match" taxis up with passengers heading to nearby locations. So, people using the program will end up sharing cabs with strangers, which has to be the plot of at least a few horror moviespornos romantic comedies. Let the meet-cutes commence!

The uberPOOL app, as it's called, has already launched in San Francisco and Paris, and the company claims it slashes taxi prices by as much as 50 percent. Riders interested in buddying up with other passengers simply have to select uberPOOL via the uberX option, and the app will match them up with people taking a similar route. "When drivers are able to operate at this type of efficiency, the cost for riders drops dramatically," a post on Uber's blog reads. "Imagine getting from Williamsburg to the East Village for $7.50—or Nolita to Lincoln Center for $10."

Other ride-share apps like Lyft and Sidecar offer carpool services, though they're not available in NYC. UberPOOL rolls out on Thursday—it'll be interesting to see how comfortable New Yorkers are getting into a cab with one another, but at least we've had some practice interacting with other humans in moving vehicles. Don't drip your umbrella on your ride buddy's leg, please.