Viral Video: It was a viral video that grabbed the attention of social networking users after several narrations regarding the harrowing experience of one woman who is stranded in one early morning auto ride from Chennai to Bangalore, thus involving massive discussions on safety and integrity in public transport. Watch the viral video below
A Long Wait for a Cab
She reached Silk Board around 5:15 AM, taking a long time to reach there. Still, she had the cab wait for her till 5:30 AM, but there were no taxis available at that hour. Frustration was about to set in when an auto driver came and offered to take her along for the same fare being quoted by the ride-sharing app Ola, which was ₹270. She agreed to pay ₹300 for reaching her destination on time.
The driver agreed and asked her to sit in another auto with another driver, telling her that “All the auto drivers here are like brothers, don’t worry, ma’am.” Things worsened for her when this second driver demanded she use the meter. The woman was aware that Ola quoted ₹270; she agreed to pay ₹300. But then, while driving from BTM towards Bannerghatta Road, she noticed the meter showing a fare of ₹340 for a distance of 26 km, where she was suspicious.
The Driver’s Aggressive Turn in Viral Video
When the woman questioned him regarding this exorbitant fare, he justified it by stating that the meter was broken and she would have to pay one and half times the initial agreed fare. Her argument attracted a completely different behavior by the driver; he started to threaten her and was very much ready to be violent. The woman fortunately had the presence of mind to record the whole episode and, hence, documented aggressive behavior by the driver.
The video went viral on X (formerly Twitter) through the account Ghar Ka Kalesh, where netizens flooded in with support for the lady and cautionary advice. This case is yet another example of the many issues in safety and transparency associated with the transportation sector, and appropriate stern measures against unethical practices are needed by the authorities.