Private-hire driver allegedly shouts at passenger, tells her to get out after she asks him to focus on driving
A private-hire driver allegedly shouted at a female passenger and told her to get out of the car after she asked him to focus on driving instead of texting.
A video of part of the ride, shared on the Instagram page @sgfollowsall, shows the visibly agitated PHV driver saying in Mandarin that his daughter had texted him and that he had only touched his phone, which appears to be mounted on the windscreen.
“Sure,” she says.
He then says that he no longer dares to touch his phone, and she responds: “You were texting. You were texting while driving.”
He explains that his daughter had not eaten and had no money, so he wanted to text her yes or no. He adds that he was following the vehicle in front of him and had merely typed two letters when the passenger complained.
The woman added in the accompanying caption that the driver was following behind a large truck and texting. She also asked if it was legal for the driver to text even though the phone was mounted on the windscreen.
“As a solo female commuter, being shouted at and threatened with ejection inside an underground tunnel was deeply intimidating. Trapped in an enclosed vehicle with someone losing his temper at 60-70 kmh, I genuinely feared for my safety, which is why I started recording,” she says.
She also claims the driver shouted insults, including saying she was “too precious to sit in his car”, though these were not shown in the video. The alleged threat by the driver to eject her in the tunnel was also not recorded.
The woman added that she was “keen to hear perspectives from both experienced drivers and regular commuters”.
Some netizens criticised driver, but others defend him
The video, shared on Sept 5, has racked up more than 170,000 views and 220 comments.
However, it is unclear where and when the recording was made and which platform the driver was on.
Several netizens defended the driver.
“Please take the train or the bus,” said one. “Just shut up and take the bus or the MRT, la, please... You think easy, ah, his job?” another asked, questioning the passenger for wanting to break the driver’s rice bowl.
“Sorry but this girl sounds entitled,” said an Instagram user while others commented that it was acceptable for the driver to text since his phone was mounted on the windscreen.
An online check found that while drivers are allowed to use mounted devices, such as for navigation, while driving, they can still be charged with careless or dangerous driving if they are found to be driving without due care or attention.
Some netizens seemed shocked that there were those taking the side of the driver.
“Seriously.... People are gonna be defending the driver? What if he crashes into another vehicle and a life is gone?” asked a netizen.
“Don’t put your passenger’s life on the line! One text can cost lives,” another said.
One netizen even suggested that those backing the driver were as guilty as he was: “Those who defend the driver are doing the same thing while they drive!”
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