The best ride-hailing app in the world is useless if it can’t connect you with a vehicle, something customers often discover after last call at an out-of-the-way bar or arrival at a sparsely populated vacation spot.

It’s a flaw that can be exploited, as drivers around the world frustrated by dwindling pay demonstrated when they disconnected from their apps on May 8, two days before ride-sharing pioneer Uber was scheduled to go public and only weeks after rival Lyft did so.

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