If you ever thought twice about the money-saving you were doing by hiring a Super Shuttle for that 4 a.m. airport trip instead of just getting a cab, get this: An SFO-bound Super Shuttle van got hijacked early Sunday morning near Union Square with several passengers on board, only to be stolen and taken to Alameda County.
As ABC 7 reports, the story starts with the shuttle driver picking up several passengers from their hotels, and one of them convincing the driver that his girlfriend made the reservation for him, though this was a lie. Then when the driver got out of the van near O'Farrell and Powell to load a new person's luggage, that phony customer hopped in the driver's seat and took off. The driver then jumped onto the side of the van and bumper-surfed for a block or two before jumping off and calling 911.
The van only made it as far as Montgomery Street before the four kidnapped passengers either convinced the driver to let them out, or he forced them all out. They all got out and split a cab to the airport, according to Super Shuttle officials. None of them were robbed or injured, and the van was ultimately found abandoned in Alameda County.
"t's a very bizarre case," says police spokesman Albie Esparza.
Yep. But not so bizarre if you've ever hung around outside a Union Square hotel at 4 a.m.
I'd venture to guess Super Shuttle is now very likely to start checking IDs. The company says such carjackings are extremely rare.
