A woman told police a man claiming to be a Lyft driver exposed himself to her in the Fairfax district of Los Angeles early Monday after picking her up from a West Hollywood bar.
The woman told police she requested a Lyft vehicle at the West Hollywood bar and got into a Toyota Prius she believed to be from the ride-hailing company.
The man stopped his vehicle at Melrose and Martel avenues, saying he needed to urinate. He returned to the car with his pants down. The woman managed to get out of the car and safely run away.
The incident occurred about 12:45 a.m. at Melrose and Martel avenues,said Sgt. Brian Churchill of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Wilshire Station.
It wasn’t yet known if the driver really was from Lyft or just happened to spot the woman waiting outside the bar and she assumed he was legitimate.
That kind of assumption could be a dangerous decision, according to police.
People who use ride services should make sure they get a picture of their driver and their vehicle license number and compare them to the vehicle that picks them up before getting inside, Churchill said.
Detectives were investigating, he said.
— Staff and wire reports