COMING UP.
((MUSIC))
FINGERPRINT BACKGROUND CHECKS
ARE NOW MANDATORY FOR ALL
GROUND TRANSPORTATION AND
RIDESHARE DRIVERS IN AUSTIN.
THE IDEA BEHIND THE ORDINANCE
-- DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO
PROTECT PASSENGER SAFETY. IN
PROTEST, THE LARGEST COMPANIES
- UBER AND LYFT - LEFT AUSTIN
A YEAR AGO... AND THE CITY
LOST THOUSANDS OF RIDESHARE
DRIVERS.AND ANOTHER UNINTENDED
RESULT KXAN INVESTIGATOR KYLIE
MCGIVERN DISCOVERED...
...UNPERMITTED DRIVERS SEIZING
THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE MONEY.
KYLIE?KYLIE: "WE FIRST STARTED
INVESTIGATING THIS PROBLEM
THREE YEARS AGO..."KYLIE: "NOW
WE'VE DISCOVERED MANY OF THESE
DRIVERS HAVE DANGEROUS
BACKGROUNDS... AND OUR
UNDERCOVER CAMERAS REVEAL JUST
HOW EASY IT IS TO PUT YOUR
LIFE AT RISK."AERTERIES OF THE
CITY PUMP LIFE INTO THE HEART
OF DOWNTOWN. PEOPLE LIKE CAB
DRIVER JOHNNY RUSHING, --HELP
THAT HEART BEAT --A RHYTHM OF
PICKS UPS AND DROP OFFS,
PROVIDING SAFE RIDES, HE SAYS
OTHERS PUT IN JEOPARDY. 'IT'S
KIND OF LIKE TRYING TO GO OFF
THE GRID AND DO THINGS." OFF
THE GRID -- OUTSIDE THE LAW.
DRIVERS OPERATING WITHOUT
PERMITS. "IN THEIR MIND,
THEY'RE GETTING A CHEAP RIDE.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME YOU DON'T
KNOW WHO YOU'RE GETTING IN THE
CAR WITH." NO BACKGROUND
CHECKS. NO OVERSIGHT. AND NO
GUARANTEES. THOUGH ILLEGAL
CABBIES SWARM DOWNTOWN... THE
CITY'S CAUGHT FEWER THAN 300
() IN THE PAST TWO YEARS.OF
THOSE... WE CHECKED CRIMINAL
CONVICTION RECORDS WITH THE
STATE... AND FOUND HISTORIES
THAT MIGHT MAKE YOU THINK
TWICE BEFORE JUMPING IN THE
BACK SEAT. ASSAULT, STALKING,
MULTIPLE DWI'S-- AND A
REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER.WE
WENT UNDERCOVER... AND FOUND
OTHERS ON OUR OWN.COURT
RECORDS SHOW THIS DRIVER
PLEADED GUILTY AND GOT THREE
YEARS PROBATION FOR CRIMINAL
MISCHIEF IN THE 90S.A DECADE
EARLIER, HE WAS CONVICTED OF
THEFT.WE FIRST SAW "TOMMY
CEDRIC HARRIS" BREAK THE LAW
IN 2104."ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS
SAY NO MONEY WAS INVOLVED AND
WE JUST FRIENDS." THREE YEARS
LATER, HE STILL REMEMBERS OUR
FIRST INVESTIGATION -- BUT
CLEARLY, THE EXPOSURE, HASN'T
SLOWED HIM DOWN. "WE WERE
DOING THIS BEFORE UBER EVER
SHOWED UP, WE WERE PICKING
STUDENTS UP FROM UT AND
BRINGING THEM DOWN TO 6TH ST.,
TAKING THEM HOMEâ|" "...I
JUST DECIDED TO STAY
INDEPENDENT. AND IT'S WORKED
OUT.""I JUST NEED $12, YOU
GUYS" "HERE YOU GO." "OH,
APPRECIATE YOU BUDDY." CEDRIC:
((RINGS ONCE)) "HELLO?" KYLIE:
"HI CEDRIC, THIS IS KYLIE
MCGIVERN WITH KXAN. YOU GAVE
US A RIDE A FEW WEEKS AGO." WE
TRACKED DOWN A PHONE NUMBER
FOR HARRIS. CEDRIC: "CLEARLY I
HAVE NO CONCERNS ABOUT DOING
IT THIS WAY, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN
DOING IT THIS LONG." AND WE
DISCOVEREDâ| THE CITY'S
CITED HIM SIX TIMES FOR GIVING
ILLEGAL RIDES IN THE LAST FIVE
YEARS.KYLIE: "WHY NOT JUST GET
THE PERMIT THEN SO YOU DON'T
EVEN HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT?"
CEDRIC: "AIN'T NOTHING ABOUT
NO BUSINESS, GETTING PERMITS
OR TRYING TO BE A BUSINESS AND
DO THAT. NO. NO I'M NOT
INTERESTED IN DOING THAT."
CEDRIC: "IT'S ALWAYS GONNA
HAPPEN. YOU'RE NOT GONNA STOP
THAT." ATD: "DOES IT HAPPEN?
WE'RE SURE IT'S HAPPENING OUT
THERE." THE CHALLENGE --
AUSTIN'S TRANSPORTATION
DEPARTMENT SAYS IT ONLY
RESPONDS WHEN IT GETS A
COMPLAINT."IF OUR OFFICE IS
NOT NOTIFIED OR WE HAVE NOT
BEEN TOLD WHO THESE ILLEGAL
OPERATORS ARE, THERE'S VERY
LITTLE WE CAN DO." WITH SO FEW
COMPLAINTS - JUST THREE LAST
YEAR... AND NONE THE YEAR
BEFORE - THERE'S LITTLE REASON
FOR THE PROBLEM TO BE A
PRIORITY.BUT HERE'S WHAT'S AT
STAKE: APD: "WORST CASE
SCENARIO, SHOULD SOMETHING
HAPPEN, YOU GET ASSAULTED OR A
NUMBER OF THINGS CAN OCCUR- WE
WON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION
READILY AVAILABLE AS WE WOULD
IF IT WAS SOMEONE THAT
ACTUALLY HAD A PERMIT." POLICE
SAY THEY'VE SET UP STINGS IN
THE PAST -- BUT NOTHING IS IN
THE WORKS RIGHT NOW.APD: "WE
HAVE TO SEE THE MONEY
EXCHANGE. ((28)) SO IT'S A
MATTER OF BEING AT THE RIGHT
PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME TO
OBSERVE THAT IN ORDER TO ISSUE
A CITATION." GUY YELLING
"RIDE?" GIRL SAYS "WHAT?" ENDS
UP GETTING RIGHT IN THE CARBUT
IT WASN'T HARD FOR US TO CATCH
THIS CRIME ON CAMERA... OVER
AND OVER."WE'RE TRYING TO GET
TO RAINEY" "YOU PAY CASH?" "WE
DO HAVE CASH." ONE -- FROM AN
ACUTAL RIDESHARE DRIVER WHO
BROKE THE RULES AND TURNED OFF
THE APP HE WORKS FOR --
CHARGING WHAT HE WANTED,
ACCEPTING CASH, WITH NO
COMPANY OVERSIGHT. "IT'S OK,
ANYTHING." "HERE'S $20."
ANOTHER DRIVER -- "DO YOU TAKE
CASH?" "YEAH" FOLLOWING THE
LEAD OF OTHERS."I'VE SEEN A
LOT OF PEOPLE DOING IT" "SO DO
YOU HAVE LIKE A CERTAIN RATE
THAT YOU CHARGE?" "NO, I'M NOT
THAT PROFESSIONAL. SO FOR
EXAMPLE, I WOULD JUST SAY PAY
ME WHATEVER YOU WOULD HAVE
PAID AN UBER OR A TAXI." "IF I
START DOING IT LIKE EVERY DAY,
THEN THERE'S A CHANCE I'M
GOING TO GET CAUGHT LIKE
THAT." "THANK YOU VERY MUCH"
"OK, THANK YOU, STAY SAFE
GUYS." LOOKING UP THEIR
LICENSE PLATES AND DIGGING
INTO THEIR BACKGROUNDS, WE
FOUND NO CRIMINAL RECORDS FOR
THOSE TWO DRIVERS. AUSTIN CITY
COUNCIL MEMBER ANN KITCHEN
DIDN'T LIKE HEARING ABOUT THE
CRIMINALS WE DIDá DISCOVER.KM:
"ASSAULT, STALKING, MULTIPLE
DWIS, SEX OFFENDER...THESE
WERE JUST A FEW OF THE
CHARGES. WHAT DO YOU THINK
WHEN YOU SEE THAT?" KITCHEN:
"WELL THAT'S, THAT'S
UNACCEPTABLE OF COURSE... LAST
ELECTION, KITCHEN AND OTHERS
PUSHED FOR FINGERPRINTING
EVERY RIDESHARE DRIVER
OPERATING WITHIN CITY LIMITS -
JUST TAXI DRIVERS.DESPITE THAT
NEW SAFETY ORDINANCE, SHE NOW
SAYS: SHE SAYS THERE'S STILL A
RISK ON THE ROAD. KITCHEN:
"YOU'RE TAKING YOUR LIFE IN
YOUR HANDS." KITCHEN: ...SO WE
NEED TO CONTINUE TO TAKE EVERY
EFFORT...TO CRACK DOWN ON
DRIVERS THAT ARE JUST IGNORING
ALL REQUIREMENTS AND GOING OUT
THERE AND OFFERING THEIR
SERVICES." RUSHING SAYS THAT
CRACK DOWN IS YEARS OVERDUE --
THE CRIME, NOW ON A FAST
TRACK. "IT'S HARD TO DECIPHER
WHO'S LEGIT AND WHO'S NOT." WE
TRACKED DOWN THE DRIVERS IN
OUR STORY.THEY EACH FELT WHAT
THEY WERE DOING WAS NOT A BIG
DEAL.ONE SAID HE DIDN'T EVEN
KNOW IT WAS AGAINST THE LAW.IF
THEY GET CAUGHT, IT'S A CLASS
C MISDEMEANOR - WITH A FINE UP
TO $500.THE PLACES THE CITY'S
CATCHING THEM THE MOST IN THE
PAST TWO YEARS - HERE THE 100
BLOCK OF EAST 2ND STREET...
NEAR THE J.W. MARRIOTT
DOWNTOWN......AND ALSO AT THE
AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT.POLICE WARN YOU TO
MAKE DRIVERS SHOW YOU THEIR
CHAUFFEUR'S PERMIT TO BE SURE
THE CITY'S VETTED THEM.COUNCIL
MEMBER KITCHEN SAYS THIS IS A
PROBLEM THAT THE CITY NEEDS TO
ADDRESS... KYLIE: "...AND WE
WILL FOLLOWUP WITH HER OFFICE
TO SEE WHAT'S BEING DONE. IN
DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, KYLIE
MCGIVERN, KXAN INVESTIGATES.
BACK TO YOU." THANKS, KYLIE.
REMEMBER, THIS IS A PROBLEM -
WE FIRST STARTED INVESTIGATING
THREE YEARS AGO.WE WERE TIPPED
OFF TO THIS UPDATE BY A VIEWER
LIKE YOU. IF YOU HAVE
SOMETHING YOU THINK OUR
INVESTIGATIVE TEAM SHOULD
INVESTIGATE, EMAIL US AT
REPORT-IT AT INVESTIGATE,
EMAIL US AT REPORT-IT AT
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