If you have ever complained about Uber surge pricing, meet your new folk hero. Or not, because he was just arrested.
Greece Police made an arrest Thursday evening after responding to a report of a stolen vehicle on West Ridge Road around 7:45 p.m. What they found was not your typical car theft scenario. Instead, investigators say they stumbled upon what they themselves described as an “unconventional ride-share business model,” which is probably the most diplomatic way law enforcement has ever characterized a crime.
The man behind this entrepreneurial venture was 29-year-old Malik Scales of Rochester, who was taken into custody at the scene. Two passengers found in the vehicle were also briefly detained, though they were released after investigators determined the pair had simply accepted what they thought was a generous offer for a lift home after dinner and had no knowledge of the vehicle’s questionable ownership history.
The Business Plan: Buy Low, Drive Strangers
According to police, Scales approached the passengers outside a restaurant and offered them a ride back to Rochester. On the surface, pretty harmless. The catch, of course, was that the vehicle he was offering rides in was reported stolen.
When officers questioned Scales about the car, he had an explanation ready: he told them he purchased the vehicle for $300 on Lyell Avenue. Whether that receipt exists is unclear, but it is worth noting that $300 is a steep discount even by used car standards, which might have been a clue that something was off. Still, Scales was reportedly moving passengers and, at least in his mind, running a legitimate operation.
What the Charges Look Like
The courts are unlikely to see it the same way. Scales was charged with criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree, unauthorized use of a vehicle, and aggravated unlicensed operation in the third degree. He was released on an appearance ticket, meaning he is not currently behind bars but does have some legal explaining ahead of him.
The passengers, for their part, walked away free and clear. Police concluded they were simply people who wanted a ride home and had no reason to suspect the car was stolen.
The Gig Economy Has Seen Better Days
This story arrives at an interesting time for the ride-share industry. With Uber and Lyft fares climbing and tipping culture now embedded in every app transaction, it is not hard to imagine why someone might try to undercut the market. Scales, if his story is to be believed, was offering a flat-rate, no-app-required alternative. The problem, legally speaking, is that “I bought it for $300 on Lyell Avenue” does not constitute a clean title, and operating a car without a valid license adds another layer of trouble to an already complicated situation.
Greece Police did not elaborate on where the stolen vehicle originated or who its rightful owner is, but the investigation appears to be ongoing. For now, the unlicensed ride-share startup has officially been shut down, and Scales faces his next appointment not with a passenger, but with a judge.