On New Year’s Eve in Midtown Manhattan, a pedicab driver charged Ken Smith, a Red Cross worker visiting from Haiti with his family, an exorbitant fare of $165 for a ride of about 15 blocks from Herald Square to Rockefeller Center. The driver illegally charged per rider and obscured the pricing on his sign, leading Smith to feel robbed by the encounter. Despite having extensive international experience, Smith and his wife, who owns a toy company in Laos, were taken aback by the scam in their own country. They paid the fare using a credit card through Square on the driver’s cracked iPhone and reported the incident to 311. New York City’s Department of Consumers Affairs, which mandates that drivers must clearly display rates and company information and prohibits per-passenger fees, has stated it will investigate the matter. Despite this negative experience, Smith expressed his continued love for New York City and his intention to return.
For more information:
https://nypost.com/2015/01/02/pedicab-takes-tourist-for-165-new-years-eve-ride/