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PHV Driver Allegedly Asked Female Passenger to Remove Mask to See Her Face & Even Wanted to Go to Her House

2022-04-26 , 9:35 am

Many of us use ride-hailing apps, and have probably experienced being paired with a talkative driver sometimes.

However, there is a fine line between ‘talkative’ and ‘blatant invasion of privacy’. This private hire vehicle (PHV) driver basically didn’t see the line at all and was super creepy throughout the entire ride.

Here’s what happened.

Asked If She Lives Alone

This woman booked a cab from her house to Balestier using the TADA app, which is a new ride-hailing service.

The driver started off by asking a classic question that every talkative driver asks: How old are you?

The woman asked him why he asked that question, and he said she looked young. She then told him she was 26 years old.

After this question, things started to get weird, as he asked if her HDB flat is rented or purchased and if she lives alone.

I mean, seriously? That’s way too personal a question, isn’t it?

This lady is nicer than many of us who would have ignored his question, as she replied that it was a rental flat and she stayed with her kids.

Wanted Her To Take Off Mask So He Can See Her Face

This driver was clearly testing his limits that day, as he asked the lady to remove her mask.

Of course, she said no, and said that she doesn’t want to remove it and that there was no reason for her to remove her mask.

The driver then said that he wanted to see her face without her mask on and know exactly what she looks like. When met with more refusal, he then tried convincing her by saying he wasn’t infected by COVID-19 and there’s nothing to be afraid of.

When the lady said that she’s not afraid of COVID-19 but is just uncomfortable taking off her mask, you would’ve thought he’d get the hint and back off. But nope.

He then continued to talk about how she surely doesn’t wear her mask outdoors now, to which she responded that she still does.

The driver was probably getting desperate and started asking questions that makes us question his intelligence, like when you are eating, you got wear mask?

Eating and sitting in a cab are two obviously very different things, and the lady told him so. He then gave up on trying to convince her to take off her mask.

But that’s not the end of the story…

Wanted To See Woman’s House

We have to give this driver five stars for persistence, because he just. Won’t. Stop.

He started another conversation, this time about her house, asking about the design of the house and the soundproofing, and whether the neighbour’s unit is near hers.

Weirdly enough, he still asked her where her room is located in the house. What a creep.

The woman basically pretended she couldn’t hear the weird questions, and said that her neighbour’s unit is near hers and that she has a strong relationship with them.

This is when the taxi driver asked if he could go up to her house, to which the woman said “No, are you crazy?”

He then asked, “Why cannot? Just go up, see see and go.”

The lady then said no again, and messaged her cousin to inform her of what was happening as she was starting to get afraid.

When they were reaching the destination, he suddenly asked if the lady has a driving license and whether she has female friends who do, to which she said no. He then made a comment on how there are a lot of females driving PHVs nowadays.

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Returned Fare of $19

They finally reached their destination, when the lady placed $19 on the console for the fare.

Her cousin and aunt, now notified about what happened, opened the vehicle’s door and confronted the driver about his behaviour.

His explanation was that he wanted to have a look at her flat because he has never seen a HDB rental flat before, and that he just wanted to see the lady’s face without a mask.

He then passed the $19 back to the lady who didn’t intend to accept it, but just took it and left as she didn’t want to hold up the line at the drop-off point.

The lady then posted about this incident on Facebook, as TADA’s hotline was closed at that time. She has also emailed TADA as well.

Allegedly Not the First Time He Harassed Passengers

The lady included the driver’s profile on her Facebook post, which was apparently a familiar sight.

Another woman commented that the same thing happened to her with the same driver, so this might not be the first time he harassed female passengers.

Image: Facebook

TADA Singapore also replied to her post, thanking her for bringing this incident to their attention.

According to MS News, TADA does not condone any form of harassment. They have a zero-tolerance policy for interactions that compromise the security and well-being of drivers and passengers.

The company is in contact with the woman to provide support, and is investigating the driver. They’ll be reviewing his past trips and reaching out to other riders who may have been harassed as well.

TADA reaffirmed that they’re committed to completing investigations and will also fully cooperate with any external investigations.

You can read her full post here.