Lady Took GrabHitch & RydePOOL, Then Criticized Cars Are Too Small & Old

Sometimes, you really can’t help but to wonder whether aliens have refused to make first contact with humans because of people like this lady, whom we should fondly call Ms Atas.

So, for a start: GrabHitch and RydePOOL are carpooling services, in which a driver, who does not need to have a Private Hire Car Driver’s Vocational Licence, can fetch a rider from one point to another as he or she is on the way.

In return for that, the driver would get some money, usually lesser than a normal PHV ride, but at least enough to cover the petrol.

This is why riders should sit in the front side, since it’s technically an “on-the-way” ride instead of a chauffeured commercial ride. Also, drivers can only carpool twice a day (to prevent abuse of the system and also insurance purposes).

And so, yesterday at 12:18 p.m., someone posted something in the group Singapore GrabHitch Zone, a group for like-minded GrabHitch drivers to discuss various issues online.

He met our protagonist, Ms Atas.

Long story cut short, here’s what happened:

• Ms Atas complained that the driver’s car, which is a 9-year-old Proton Saga, is too old, cramped and uncomfortable
• She suggested the driver not to carpool with that kind of car
• She then wrote down the model of the car in a notebook, together with other small cars, as “blacklisted cars” for carpooling
• She saw a Camry, pointed at it and mentioned that that should be the kind of car for carpooling and private hire

According to a comment, the driver mentioned that the lady is about 30 years old.

CSB means “cool story, bro”, implying that it’s a fake story, but read on and you’ll know it’s CCB instead of CSB.

Here’s an image of a splendid Proton Saga:

And here’s a towkay Camry (new version):

(I’ve sat in another Proton, a Proton Gen-2, and a Camry before, and all I can say is that oh damn man Ms Atas, I didn’t even think of comfort because why would I.)

Ms Atas Appeared Again

About 11 hours later, another person posted his experience online, presumably with Ms Atas. Well, you just got to read everything to feel the driver’s blood boiling.

Here, an image of Subaru Impreza (the hatchback version):

And here’s a Nissan Elgrand.

Shockingly enough, I’ve not sat in a Subaru Impreza but have been in a Nissan Elgrand, and I agree with Ms Atas: That’s one heck of a good ride.

But Ms Atas, the price is also one heck of a price.

The sense of entitlement in carpooling

Both GrabHitch and RydePOOL have been educating users about being graceful and reminding them that these drivers aren’t private-hire but merely helping out, but it seems like it’s falling on deaf ears for some so far.

If anything, let this be a lesson to all riders: continue that sense of entitlement and aliens would never visit us. And your story would be in Facebook.

And oh, Ms Atas, if you want a big, new vehicle, here’s one for you:

Mercs somemore leh.