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Hyderabad woman confronts man posing as Rapido driver after he offers her ride at 9 pm: 'Always verify driver'
In the video, the woman can be heard repeatedly asking the man to show his ID and questioning why he had approached her when she had not booked a ride.
A Hyderabad woman waiting for an auto near Charminar at around 9 pm was approached by a man who claimed to be a Rapido driver and offered to drop her home. However, things took a turn when she asked him to show his Rapido driver ID and he failed to provide one.
The woman, Siddeshwari Sugandh, shared details of the incident in an Instagram post, along with a video showing her confronting the man. She said she started recording him after he approached her and noticed that his vehicle did not have a visible registration number.
In the caption of the post, Siddeshwari said that the man claimed to be a Rapido driver, after which she asked him to show his Rapido ID. But instead of displaying a driver profile, he started downloading the Rapido app from the Play Store.
In the video, Siddeshwari can be heard repeatedly asking him to show his ID and questioning why he had approached her when she had not booked a ride. She also pointed out that the vehicle did not have a visible number plate.
The man told her that he did not take rides frequently, suggesting that the absence of a number plate was not an issue. When she continued questioning him, he said, "Gaadi chalu nahi ho rahi hai (The vehicle is not starting)".
Siddeshwari then immediately questioned why he had offered her a ride if the vehicle was not working. At another point, when she took the man's phone, the screen showed an OTP page. She also asked him to state his full name before eventually telling him to leave.
Watch the video below:
Sharing the incident on Instagram, Siddeshwari said she regularly uses Rapido autos and cabs and has generally felt safer using the platform, particularly at night. She clarified that she was not blaming Rapido for the incident, but wanted to highlight how the man had allegedly used the company's name to gain her trust.
"What honestly shocked me was the confidence with which he approached a woman at 9 PM and offered her a ride without any prior booking or verification," she wrote.
She urged women to verify their driver and ride details through the app before getting into a vehicle, particularly if someone approaches them claiming to be their driver without a booking.
(Also Read: Delhi woman books Rapido bike at 11 pm, says rider arrived in car and insisted she get in. Company responds)
Rapido responds
Rapido responded to her post and thanked her for bringing the incident to its attention. The company said customers can verify the captain and ride details through the app and that an OTP shared at the beginning of a ride helps ensure that the customer is travelling with the correct captain and vehicle.
"Hi Siddhi, thank you for bringing this to our attention. We're glad you trusted your instincts and chose to verify before getting into the vehicle," Rapido said, adding that its captains have to follow safety guidelines and policies.
(Also Read: Bengaluru techie, working as Rapido driver on weekend, assaulted by customer)
Social media reactions
The incident has also drawn reactions from social media users, with several praising Siddeshwari for confronting the man and recording the interaction.
"Love how you stood your ground, recorded him, questioned him and sent him away. Amazing!" one user commented.
Another wrote, "Brave women, who confronted this kind of situation, I hope this inspires every girl out there!"
"He's clearly on a big mission without a number plate on both sides @hyderabadcitypolice @hyderabadtrafficpolice, please take action," commented a third user.
