A Mumbai-based techie claims she was abused and threatened by a Rapido driver who first tried to overcharge her and then asked her to cancel the ride after she declined. Ohshin Bhat shared a screenshot of the driver’s abusive message on the social media platform X.
The techie explained that she had booked a cab through ride-hailing service Rapido. She requested a cab of the ‘Rapido Economy’ class and got a Premium vehicle instead. Economy rides typically cost less than Premium ones, often using hatchbacks as cabs as opposed to the sedans that ply under the Premium category.
In Ohshin’s case, however, the driver had also made his cab available under the Economy category, possibly in a bid to get more rides. However, he demanded that the techie pay him extra. When she refused, the Rapido driver began insulting and threatening her, demanding that she cancel the ride.
“Pel dunga”
“Cancel kar do varna pel dunga khade khade (Cancel the ride or I will beat you up),” the driver told Ohshin, according to the screenshot she shared online. He followed it up with another perceived insult, calling the Mumbai techie a “Bhikhari ki aulad (Child of a beggar).”
When the customer refused to rise to the bait, the Rapido driver got more belligerent.
{{/usCountry}}When the customer refused to rise to the bait, the Rapido driver got more belligerent.
{{/usCountry}}“Saste me chahiye paidal ja (Walk if you want to save money),” he told Ohshin.
Ohshin told HT.com that she eventually booked an Uber and left the area. The driver ended up cancelling the ride himself.
Take a look at the exchange below:
Rapido's response
Rapido responded to the complaint with an apology and a promise to investigate further.
“We fully understand the seriousness of this matter, and we deeply apologize for the captain's unprofessional behavior. As requested earlier, kindly share the ride details via DM so that we can prioritize taking action against the captain and provide you with an update,” the X account of Rapido Cares posted.
This is the latest in a long line of incidents where cab drivers have used insulting or threatening language against passengers. In the comments section, many said they were shocked by the driver’s words and asked Rapido to take necessary action. Some said that Rapido had the worst-behaved drivers on board.
“What in the world is going on? Why every time it's Rapido,” asked one X user. “Haha, I had a similar incident but the chat was by the Rapido customer service team!” another claimed.
HT.com has reached out to Rapido for a comment and will update this copy on receiving a response.