Rule-breakers bring dark side to ride-share culture

The cars started lining up an hour before pop music star Gwen Stefani wrapped up her concert at St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center.

As 5,000 concertgoers streamed out of the arena, the drivers went to work. “Do you want an Uber ride?” asked one. Another held up a big piece of paper marked “Uber” and told passersby they could save a lot of money by paying him cash for a ride.

In the scramble to get home, it was impossible for customers to tell which of the drivers actually worked for Uber. Half the vehicles were not displaying corporate logos, as required by law. Most of the drivers openly solicited potential customers on the street or agreed to take cash for a ride, tactics that are illegal for Uber drivers.

http://www.startribune.com/rule-breakers-bring-dark-side-to-ride-share-culture/402072965/