I drive for Uber on the side in Winston, so maybe I'm biased, but I really don't get all the complaints. First of all, the fares are really cheap. You can go anywhere in Winston pretty much for less than $12, and Winston actually has higher per mile rates than most major cities.
Yes, surge pricing is annoying as a rider and can get absurdly expensive. However it does achieve its goal of getting more drivers on the road, which in a market like Winston can be the difference between being able to get a ride and having literally no drivers available. There have been many times that I've gotten back on the road after I had quit for the day only because a surge was happening.
When I'm on the road, I use Uber as a rider all the time as it's usually cheaper and always better service than cabs. If there's an expensive surge then I find a cab, same as I would have before Uber existed.
Nobody forces anybody to use Uber, but in most situations, I think it's an extremely beneficial addition to the transportation scene. It seems like most of the complaints in the US come from people who live way out in the suburbs in a big city and are annoyed that they can't get an 20+ mile ride at a peak time for $30.
ETA: As far as a driver, I am not nearly as high on Uber as I am as a rider, but that's a subject for a different post