In Bengaluru, where the traffic snarls are the norm and time is currency, one Infosys employee has taken an unconventional detour— hustling as a bike taxi rider to stay productive during his free hours.
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Take a look at the post
The story surfaced through a LinkedIn post by Bengaluru woman Chaarmika Nagalla, who shared her recent commute experience. While commuting to work, she hailed a bike taxi to beat the traffic. When the rider arrived and greeted her with a corporate-style “Am I audible?”, it sparked instant curiosity.
The rider then revealed that he is a full-time employee at Infosys working in the company’s contract management team. It was his first day moonlighting as a bike taxi rider—not for financial necessity, but to make his mornings and weekends more productive instead of scrolling endlessly through social media.
Chaarmika’s post quickly gained traction, resonating with thousands and opening up a larger conversation about Bangalore’s evolving gig economy and the emotional undercurrents behind it.
{{/usCountry}}Chaarmika’s post quickly gained traction, resonating with thousands and opening up a larger conversation about Bangalore’s evolving gig economy and the emotional undercurrents behind it.
{{/usCountry}}This isn’t an isolated incident either. Just a day before, Chaarmika’s return Uber ride was with a rider on a premium bike, decked out in high-end gear. He, too, turned out to be a full-time employee at a B2B event management firm. His reason? Rather than ride home alone, he decided to complete a ride or two and have some human interaction.
Stories like these reflect a broader trend—of professionals stepping into the gig economy not out of compulsion, but in search of purpose, connection, and sometimes, escape from solitude.
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In the comments section of the viral post, similar anecdotes poured in. One user shared how her partner once booked a ride, only to discover the driver was a colleague from the same company, driving part-time to combat loneliness. Another recalled a ride in Australia where the driver dropped her off en route to a golf session, emphasizing how these “small ride stories” often leave a lasting impression.
The phenomenon also mirrors a recent case where a Microsoft employee in Bengaluru took to driving an auto-rickshaw on weekends—not for money, but to meet new people and battle feelings of isolation.