Why Is X the Cheapest Option?

Submission 1,928

Part of a series on Uber. [View Related Entries]

Shi!! @shihagami WHY THE F--- IS THE UBER DRAGON THE CHEAPEST OPTION 78 on MAN Verizon MANHATTAN 4 MIN New York Google Uber 2:29 PM Home > John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) UberX : 4 3:43pm dropoff Pool 3:57-4:25pm dvalin 3:27pm ASS Choose a ride, or swipe up for more Uber Cash - $5.00 25A Confirm UberX @1 55% 295 QUEENS Valley Strea $126.84 2x pts $102.56 1x pts $101.39 $202.79 (25) (24 >

marie ennui: guillotine operator @PastaVersaucy WHY THE F--- IS THE LAMENT CONFIGURATION THE CHEAPEST OPTION Choose a ride, or swipe up for more UberX:4 3:43pm dropoff Pool 3:57-4:25pm $126.84 2x pts 6:41 PM Jan 7, 2023 6,995 Views $102.56 1x pts Lament Configuration $101.39 3:27pm $202.79 ...

yuyu reorganizing pinned @yuyu_finale WHY THE F--- IS SWORD THE CHEAPEST OPTION }} Choose a ride, or swipe up for more UberX : 4 3:43pm dropoff Pool 3:57-4:25pm Sword 3:27pm $126.84 2x pts $102.56 1x pts $101.39 $202.79

San Francisco Shock @SFShock WHY THE HELL IS A LUCIO TAXI THE CHEAPEST OPTION UberX 4 10:14am drop-off Faster Pool 10:15-10:21am Lúcio 10:16am $154.12 $177.89 $105.56 $197.66 ...

Local NB Parental Figure Ruins Everything @TheTattooDad WHY THE F--- IS RAYQUAZA THE CHEAPEST OPTION Choose a ride, or swipe up for more UberX:4 3:43pm dropoff Pool 3:57-4:25pm Rayquaza 3:27pm nelly! @nellychillin Nov 27, 2021 Tweet like Pokémon were real Show this thread $126.84 2x pts $102.56 1x pts $101.39 $202.79 :

grimy.ranarr @grimy_ranarr WHY THE F--- IS THE GNOME GLIDER THE CHEAPEST OPTION? Uber Choose a ride, or swipe up for more UberX:4 3:43pm dropoff Pool 3:57-4:25pm Gnome Glider 3:27pm Uber Cash - $5.00 $126.84 2x pts $102.56 1x pts ◆ $101.39 $202.79 :

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About

Why Is X The Cheapest Option?, also known as Why The Fuck Is Uber Helicopter The Cheapest Option?, is an exploitable meme format and phrasal template showing three options in the rideshare app Uber, with the third option being the most exotic and somehow also the least expensive of the three choices. After a tweet from a person expressing shock that the "Uber Helicopter" was the cheapest ride available for a trip went viral in 2019, variations began proliferating in early 2023 in which memers replaced the helicopter with a fictional vehicle or animal from a media franchise in the caption and app screenshot.

Origin

On December 23rd, 2019, Twitter user @nicoleej0hnson^[1] tweeted her surprise that the Uber Helicopter, a feature Uber introduced in New York City earlier that year specifically for flights from Manhattan to JFK airport,^[2] was somehow the cheapest option for her getting to JFK from Lower Manhattan, expressing, "WHY THE FUCK IS THE UBER HELICOPTER THE CHEAPEST OPTION." The tweet gained over 144,000 retweets and 670,000 likes in three years (shown below).

ross macdonald stan account @nicoleejOhnson WHY THE F--- IS THE UBER HELICOPTER THE CHEAPEST OPTION Verizon 78 MANHATTAN 4 MIN New York Google Uber 2:29 PM Home > UberX:4 3:43pm dropoff John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) > Pool 3:57-4:25pm Copter 3:27pm 495 Uber Cash - $5.00 25A Choose a ride, or swipe up for more Confirm UberX @1 55% 295 QUEENS (24) Valley Strea $126.84 2x pts Hr $102.56 1x pts $101.39 $202.79

Spread

On December 24th, 2022, Twitter user @GuiseppeGangsta^[3] then copied @nicoleej0hnson's tweet word for word, gaining over 43,000 retweets and 472,000 likes in roughly two weeks. The repost appears to have subsequently inspired parodies in the following days. For example, on January 4th, 2023, Twitter user @puertofico^[4] replied to the "Tweet like Pokémon were real" prompt with an edit replacing the Uber Helicopter with the Pokémon Corviknight, gaining over 11,000 retweets and 104,000 likes in one week (shown below).

fico (parody) @puertofico WHY THE F--- IS THE CORVIKNIGHT THE CHEAPEST OPTION Choose a ride, or swipe up for more UberX:4 3:43pm dropoff Pool 3:57-4:25pm Corviknight 3:27pm nelly! @nellychillin Nov 27, 2021 Tweet like Pokémon were real Show this thread $126.84 2x pts $102.56 1x pts $101.39 $202.79

The tweet then became an exploitable meme template from that point forward, as many users adapted it using vehicles or animals from other pieces of media. For example, on January 5th, 2023, Twitter user @soapyhadid^[5] posted an example using a Tulkun from Avatar, gaining over 900 retweets and 12,000 likes in one week (shown below, left). On January 7th, Twitter user @realphoenixfire^[6] posted an example using a Silt Strider from The Elder Scrolls, gaining over 700 retweets and 3,300 likes in three days (shown below, right).