SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio police said a man its officers found suffering gunshot wounds in a West Side neighborhood was working as an unofficial rideshare driver at the time.
Officers responded around 9 p.m. Wednesday to a dead-end on West Laurel Street not far from North Zarzamora Street.
SAPD said the 27-year-old victim told officers that he had driven to the location after being shot somewhere else by a person who fled.
The victim also told officers he was shot while working as an unofficial rideshare driver.
Online, people who do this type of driving are known as “hood Ubers.”
“We’re just a community of drivers that help people get to their destinations,” said Tonda Red Horse Scott, a self-described hood Uber.
Scott said she has been taking part in the practice of shuttling passengers around town for a fee for just a few months.
Since hood Ubers are not affiliated with official rideshare programs, users do not book rides through a cellphone application with set prices.
Instead, passengers and drivers connect on social media through posts either describing where they want to go or what services they offer.
“We’re saving clients money and helping them out. They help us out, and we’re all able to be happy,” Scott said.
In San Antonio, however, it appears hood Ubers are illegal.
City regulations state that drivers of vehicles for hire must apply for and obtain permits in order to operate.
Based on what happened with the driver who was shot, it appears there is also some risk involved.
Scott says the shooting, though, is not deterring her from driving.
“Above all things, the Lord is with me, so I don’t fear,” she said. “I would just advise drivers to know what they’re getting into.”
Scott says she can assess potential passengers through conversation, then decides whether she believes they will do her harm.
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