Surcharges don't bother me because they typically are roughly the same for taxis, e.g. airports and the like. While I wish they didn't exist, if I pay one to a taxi, why not to an Uber driver?
Surge pricing is dependent on the amount. Given the recent UberX price cuts, I can still do with a 30-40% surge price and be just about even with a taxi in many large cities. The surges also do drive away some other users and draw drivers out, so I can still find a car in the standard downtown 2-3 minutes (barring traffic messes).