A Bengaluru man experienced a terrifying encounter with a Rapido driver on February 25 after a simple disagreement over air conditioning escalated into a threatening situation. The incident, which unfolded in broad daylight, saw the driver, identified as Nagaraj R, allegedly brandish a sharp mini knife and hold it to the passenger’s chest.
The ordeal began when the passenger asked the driver to turn on the AC, which led to a heated argument. According to the passenger, the driver, in a bad mood, refused and instead asked him to leave the cab. When the passenger refused to cancel the ride, the situation turned violent as the driver pulled a keychain with a blade and advanced on him. The frightened passenger pointed toward a nearby traffic police officer, which caused the driver to step back. He quickly escaped the vehicle, hopped into an auto-rickshaw, and continued his journey to safety.
However, the harassment didn’t stop there. The driver allegedly made repeated calls to the passenger and bombarded him with OTP messages every 15 minutes. The passenger reported the incident to Rapido, who assured him that the driver would be suspended. But despite Rapido’s confirmation of the driver’s suspension, the harassment persisted.
The passenger raised concerns about Rapido’s lack of safeguards, pointing out that the company’s failure to mask customer numbers allowed the driver to continue contacting him. He also expressed frustration at Rapido’s handling of the situation, questioning how the company planned to prevent such harassment in the future.
Rapido confirmed the suspension and assured the passenger that his number was removed from the driver’s system. Still, the situation left the passenger questioning the company’s accountability and ability to protect its customers from such experiences.
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