Authorities are investigating a case where a pedicab driver in New York City charged a Japanese couple $720 for a 20-minute ride from Midtown to the Village, a journey that should have cost about $50. According to a report by The New York Post, the driver initially indicated the ride would be $5, but upon arrival, demanded $520. The couple, unfamiliar with the local pricing, paid the amount using a credit card. They later discovered not only the $720 charge but also an attempted additional charge of $616, which did not process. The Department of Consumer Affairs is now trying to locate the driver using smartphone credit card reader data. Laramie Flick, acting president of the NYC Pedicab Owners Association, described this incident as one of the worst rip-offs he had encountered.
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