We’ve had our fair share of PHV drivers from hell, but there’s always more.
This week, a PHV driver apparently claimed an extra fee after being asked to drive to the third level to pick up a passenger on crutches.
Here’s what you need to know.
PHV Driver Wants Extra Fee for Driving to Third Level For Pick Up
On Tuesday, a TikTok user named Syaf posted a series of videos on her TikTok sharing her latest experience with a PHV driver.
In the video, the 22-year-old shared that she was currently on crutches due to a knee injury.
As she is on crutches, she requested her Grab driver to drive up to the third level of a carpark, where the driver can access her office.
She explained that she would usually walk down to the first level to be picked up by Grab drivers. However, she didn’t head down to the first level this time due to the recent rainy spells. She fears that she may slip and fall on the way down.
As a result, she sometimes requests her Grab drivers to drive up to the third level to pick her up.
This request, however, hasn’t been met well by some PHV drivers.
Apparently, one of her PHV drivers had asked her for an additional charge for driving up to the third level to pick her up.
When asked by the 22-year-old why this was so, the driver merely replied “then good luck to u cause must be fair for us .. how much is your fare ? is it fair for us ?”.
Imagine what those permanently on wheelchairs or crutches must go through every time they book a ride.
Not Her First Time Getting “Scolded or Schooled” by Drivers
The 22-year-old also shared that this was not her first time being shown such an attitude by PHV drivers.
Although she shared that she has met many helpful PHV drivers who offered her help, many have also scolded her for “troubling” them.
She continued by sharing that as PHV drivers in the service industry, it is part of their job to provide good service to their passengers.
She wraps up the video by urging PHV drivers to “Do better, please. Not just for me but for everybody else out there”.
The 22-year-old also lodged a report to Grab.
Response from Grab and the Driver in Question
Grab has since responded, sharing that the relevant driver’s account has been temporarily suspended.
The ride-hailing company apologised for the incident and added that it is against a driver’s code of conduct to ask for additional charges.
Syaf’s TikTok video was also shared on the PHV Community Facebook page, where a man claiming to be the driver tried to explain himself.
Before you read it, don’t say we didn’t warn you, it’s pretty passive-aggressive.
The man of the hour shared that he had cancelled the ride as he was “too far away” from Syaf and that the fare for him to travel to her location was “impractical”.
He also revealed that as a result of her complaint, he had been suspended by Grab for 72 hours.
The driver even went to the extent of remarking on her appearance, saying “this shows how pious wearing a tudong with piercing on your nose and the intention for posting this”.
All we can say is that the driver’s comments would fit right into a HardwareZone forum.
He also shared that if the passenger were in a wheelchair, he would help the passenger without a doubt.
In response, Syaf posted a follow-up TikTok video emphasising that she merely wanted to convey the message to PHV drivers to be kind to people. She also added that the driver was rude when he didn’t have to.
Well, you know what they say. Women are always right, and the 22-year-old Syaf, in this case, is most definitely right.
Singaporeans’ Responses to the Debacle
The incident triggered a mix of responses, some supporting the driver and some supporting the 22-year-old.
Those supporting the driver sympathised with his plight, given that he got suspended due to Syaf’s TikTok video.
A substantial group of netizens also sided with Syaf, praising her for being brave enough to speak about the issue.
The 22-year-old responded to one particular comment left on her TikTok, sharing that she had spoken about this issue as she did not want others to have to go through the same experience she did.
Others were wittier with their comments, with one particular netizen saying: “uncle very hard to go up? He driving up or push up the car…”
Perhaps he was about to push his car up to the third level of the carpark to save petrol.
Several netizens also concurred with Syaf, adding that drivers are taught to go the extra mile to provide good service during the training to become Grab drivers.
Well, someone hasn’t been paying attention in their training.
So, are you Team Driver or Team Syaf?
We’ve had a recent spate of incidents where PHV drivers have been put into the limelight for various reasons.
For one, a PHV driver tried to claim $10,000 for “pain and suffering” from the driver whose lane he had cut into.
Another PHV driver also saw overnight fame for denying finding a sum of $30k a passenger reportedly left in the vehicle.
Read Also:
Featured Image: TikTok (@nopenotsyaf)