SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — Billboards warning people — especially women — not to accept rides from unregulated drivers went up a few weeks ago near the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa ports of entry.
They show a worried woman holding a suitcase while a driver in a parked car extends his arm offering her a ride.
The messaging is in Spanish telling people not to accept the rides and not “to play with their lives.”
Since 2023, these drivers, called “wildcatters,” or raiteros in Spanish, have become entrenched outside pedestrian border crossings.
San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan, the Metropolitan Transit System and other agencies have launched a public campaign warning people against these “wildcatters,” calling them “unregulated and unpermitted ride-sharing services.”
After a number of complaints from citizens and cab drivers who say the wildcatters are taking business away from them, Stephan got involved.
“It is simply dangerous and unsafe to have passengers transported in a vehicle that is often uninsured, with an unlicensed driver with an unknown background check,” Stephan said back in November.
The billboards themselves have been up for only a few weeks.
“We have received reports of exploitation for human trafficking where vulnerable women are in these cars,” Stephan said. “Protecting the safety of San Diego County residents, commuters and others who cross the border falls squarely in our mission of preventing crime. We are also working closely with our law enforcement and transportation partners to hold those who are not authorized to offer this type of service accountable for their crimes.”
Stephan said the campaign is all about public education and awareness.
“We want to empower passengers to understand the difference between an unlicensed driver and a legitimate taxicab or ride-sharing vehicles,” she said.
Offering rides for a fee is against the law and carries penalties.
“It is a misdemeanor that carries jail time and it also carries a fine of up to $500,” Stephan said.
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