With Lollapalooza starting, warnings issued about fake rideshare drivers, other safety concerns

CBS News

3 days ago

Lollapalooza kicks off on Thursday, and city officials have issued some safety warnings — urging festivalgoers in particular to be aware of rideshare impersonators.
Just this week, Chicago police put out an alert about two women sexually assaulted by a man they said posed as a driver.
Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) said the Chicago Police Department is ramping up its presence in the rideshare pickup and drop-off areas for Lollapalooza along Monroe Drive.
Hopkins said with road closures around Grant Parka and construction in areas, people should use the 'L' or Metra. But if people must take a rideshare, they need to be careful.
"Don't rely on someone rolling down the window, yelling to you, 'Hey, I'm your Uber!'" said Hopkins. "Chances are that's not a legitimate ride."
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The Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications said anyone using a service like Uber or Lyft must have the rideshare drop them off or pick them up within a rectangle bounded by DuSable Lake Shore Drive on the east, State Street on the west, Wacker Drive on the north, and 14th Street on the south.
Ald. Hopkins said most rideshares will be routed to Monroe Drive.
But new this year, no one can get dropped off or picked up on DuSable Lake Shore Drive, or they will risk getting a ticket.
"The app will tell the driver where they can pick up their passenger," Hopkins said. "It'll guide their passengers to that location, and we can adjust it if necessary."
Hopkins said the CPD has been instructed to look for fake rideshare drivers, keeping an eye out for signs like counterfeit placards on windshield, and erratic driving.
Meanwhile, area hospitals such as Rush University Medical Center are also ready.
"We do prepare for sort of a surge in young patients," said Dr. Antonia Nemanich of Rush.
Nemanich said Rush could see anywhere from 10 to 20 more patients a day on top of their already-busy emergency room volume. The hospital will treat both alcohol and drug overdoses.
"Always have a lot of suspicion for any drug that isn't coming from a dispensary or from a reputable source, because all bets are off," Nemanich said. "You might, you know, think it's ketamine, MDMA, and it could be laced with fentanyl or something else."
Overall, city officials said they want people to have good time. But how they spend that time, and how they get to and from the festival safely, is most important.
"We know that stakes are higher," Hopkins said. "We are determined to keep everyone safe."
Police earlier this week issued a community alert about the fake rideshare driver. They said he struck around 5 a.m. back on Sunday, March 30, in the 1100 block of North Lake Shore Drive in the Gold Coast, and again around 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 19, in the 1500 block of North Wells Street in Old Town.
Police said the fake rideshare driver picked up female victims in a midsize black SUV, and later sexually assaulted them. The vehicle was not the one ordered by the victims via a ride-sharing app.
Hopkins said Chicago police have strong leads in the case, and an update should be coming soon.