Grab responds to video where driver calls passenger 'cheapo' in argument over who decides route

He said he was explaining, not arguing.

A Grab driver called a passenger "cheapo" in a dispute over who got to decide which route to take.

The conversation, which was mostly in Mandarin, can be heard in a video shared by TikToker Alex Chan on Saturday (May 20).

@alexchan151

Stomper Abby said his friend encountered this.

"Who is right? Who is wrong?" asked the Stomper. "Does the rider have the right to choose their route?"

In response to a Stomp query, a Grab spokesman said: "For fixed fare rides, our driver-partners have the right to take the fastest or shortest route available as recommended by the GPS.

"If a passenger has a preferred route, they are encouraged to discuss it with the driver before the ride starts, so he can decide the final route at his discretion.

"That being said, we wish to remind our driver-partners and passengers alike to treat each other with respect in all their interactions.

"They can contact Grab if they require assistance at any point of time."

In the almost five-minute video, neither the driver nor the passenger can be seen.

The driver can be heard explaining that because taxis use a meter, the passenger can choose the route, but for Grab, the passenger cannot.

The passenger then threatened to complain. The driver responded by offering to drop her off at a bus stop if she was not happy.

He claimed she wanted to save a couple of dollars at the expense of his time.

Unhappy, the passenger asked to be dropped off at a bus stop

That was when the driver referred to the passenger as a "cheapo" and said that if she could not afford to pay, she should not take a taxi.

He said that it was okay that she wanted to save money, but it should not affect other people.

Later in the argument, the driver said the passenger's life was in his hands.

"If I hit a tree and you die, it would be on my hands," said the driver.

Arguing over Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) charges, he said: "Of course, I would choose the fastest route. Who are you? My mother? And I should help you save on the ERP charges?"

The video has garnered more than 62,000 views.