Dismayed at the prospect of residents exchanging funds and transporting around the Capital City without their express blessing, the City of Austin is ramping up their targeting efforts towards a new ridesharing group, Arcade City — by sending armed law enforcement officers to their office to issue citations on behalf of the Austin Transportation Department.
On Friday, eight law enforcement officers entered the downtown offices of The Capital Factory (a co-working space partially occupied by Arcade City’s administrative staff) for the purpose of issuing citations for operating a ridesharing service without a permit – a class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500. Although nobody was present to be cited, there is no telling how many citations would have been issued, or why eight armed officers were required for this task.
These aren’t dangerous people. Austin Police Department wasn’t going after human traffickers, drug dealers, or other such nefarious characters on Friday — just ordinary residents trying to earn additional income by providing a much needed, positive service to their friends and neighbors.
So the City of Austin sends men with guns after them.
The city has already gone to great lengths to quash the ridesharing group for filling the void left by Uber and Lyft’s sudden vacancy following Proposition 1’s defeat in May. The city previously ran sting operations against their drivers — issuing citations and impounding their vehicles.
With every passing day, it’s becoming more and more apparent who exactly Austin bureaucrats are trying to protect — and it isn’t everyday citizens.
