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Police: There's no Uber human-trafficking ring, so stop spreading that text message
By adamg on Thu, 01/24/2019 - 12:11pm
Cambridge Police have gone online to rebut a viral post about an alleged local human-trafficking ring run by Uber drivers - which started not long after Victor Pena's arrest on Tuesday on kidnapping charges in Charlestown on Tuesday:
We want the community to be aware that several residents over the last 12+ hours have shared images of a text message that has been circulating around the region. The image notes there is an investigation into a human trafficking ring being operated out of Cambridge by ride-share drivers and is related to the Olivia Ambrose investigation.
As we have communicated to those who have inquired with us, the Cambridge Police Department has no knowledge of any such information or investigation and the information does not appear to have any validity. If anyone has any questions or concerns about any particular public safety matters, we strongly encourage them to contact us directly for any relevant information.
In the Pena case, ride-sharing services never came up at all - police say Pena guided Ambrose onto the Orange Line at State Street and that they then took the train to Community College, from where, they say, they walked to his apartment in the Bunker Hill development.
As long as they have you, though, police continued their message with several tips on ensuring a safe ride in a ride with a driver you don't know, including:
If you feel unsafe, trust your gut and call 911.
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Comments
Amazing
How dumb society is today. People on facebook believe/share everything they read without the slightest bit of critical thinking. 1 make believe story texted to someone, who posts on facebook, who tweets about it, and the Police have to take the time to respond.
You win some, you lose some
Just remember, without facebook we never would have been able to bring down that Kony guy!
Not badmouthing Uhub
but have you read some of the comments on here? Is it all true? I doubt it, but human nature brings the bullshitter out in a lot of people.
But it is their job to move
But it is their job to move humans around in traffic, right?
Could it be...
A possible white lie to prevent accidentally exposing an on-going investigation?
Probably not. But either way, be careful when taking ride shares - especially late at night and alone! Even if there is no sex-trafficking ring, there is still some degree of danger in getting into a vehicle with a stranger.
There's some degree of danger in getting out of bed
in the morning. Ride share apps track your location and have the license plate number of the car you're getting into. Using your logic cabs are infinitely more dangerous than any ride share.
I think I've posted this before
I think I've posted this before, but:
1976: Never get in a stranger's car
1996: Beware of strangers on the internet
2016: Literally summon strangers from the internet and get in their cars
Again
1976: Cabs exist - get into car with stranger
1996: Cabs exist - get into car with stranger
2016: Cabs & Ride Shares exist - get into car with stranger, however one retains the information for the car you're getting into and will track your location along with pickup/drop off point and the other will not
1976: Cabs exist - get into
Who is regulated by a government agency, works for a local company with a physical headquarters, and has his name, photo and official operating license posted in the vehicle.
Sure, no different than just having some random guy show up at your door in his private vehicle.
Ahh, yes
I forgot that any one who is regulated by a government agency, works for a local company with a physical headquarters, and has his name, photo and official operating license posted in the vehicle is incapable of committing a crime. Which is safer, getting into a car where technology can identify and track the vehicle and route you took or getting into a "regulated" car that can take you anywhere without anyone knowing when or where you went?
O Rly?
Surely you meant to write, "Has somebody's name, photo, and official operating license posted in the vehicle."
Okay fine but
UBER will not refund you any many when the car you ride in smells overwhelmingly of the 90 million carcinogens found in cigarettes. If you complain about this they will first find insufficient reason to refund you for your having to feel sick after a ride inside what is essentially a cigarette filter. If you persist in complaining beyond this they will merely ignore you. If you get real mad at that, and you threaten to write an op-ed about cigarette smell in UBERs they will block you from using their app.
You know what UBER, fuck you!
I have found the following things are true since switching to LYFT: 1) the LYFt app usually knows my location automatically an I don't have to fight with it to get it to recognize this. 2) If you have a bad ride for any reason, LYFT will refund you. 3) LYFT drivers know, because most of them know about UBER too, that LYFT is a superior service. 4) When that battery is low on your phone, you can use LYFT still, while UBER causes your phone to drop dead.
This is not the place the further your financial interests.
You can't sell vitamin supplements here and you can't rant on with stories about how bad your direct competition is. (Uber is evil! Use Lyft Instead or you support evil!) Don't think we didn't notice that the very specific nature of the post in question clearly shows that it was started by either Lyft of Taxi drivers in Cambridge.