Singapore — An angry and alarmed mother has taken to social media to inform everyone, especially young girls, about a Grab ride her daughter had taken. The driver had, instead of taking her directly to her destination, driven to a dead end.
Fortunately, nothing untoward happened to the teenager, who, according to the police report on the incident, is 17 years old.
Ms Ellis Phua wrote about the incident, which left her daughter traumatised, on her Facebook page on Monday (Feb 3).
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10157221611273883&set=pcb.10157220659793883&type=3&theater&_rdc=1&_rdr
First, the driver did not drive her daughter to her destination but to a dead end. He then asked her to sit in the front seat, threatening to stop driving if she refused.
The driver was about to get out of his vehicle when the teenager raised her voice and “insisted” that he drive her to school.
The mother wrote: “She was lucky enough to escape from this ‘traumatised’ incident. Please help to share, beware and be safe!”
Ms Phua said that, to add insult to injury, the policewoman to whom they reported the incident would not do anything as “nothing” serious had happened.
The officer asked the daughter, who was in shock: “What is the purpose of your report?”
The mother and daughter also found to their surprise that, according to Grab, this was not the driver’s first offence. Ms Phua wrote: “Surely has (sic) past police record but well (sic) what can they do…??♀️??♀️??”
The police report, dated Feb 3, was included in the mother’s post. It said that the daughter had booked a ride from Pasir Ris to Yio Chu Kang Swimming Complex at around 10.19 am.
It added that the driver did not take the right exit, but went to the Seletar Expressway (SLE), and exited at Lentor Avenue. Then, instead of turning right into Ang Mo Kio Street 64, he turned left.
This is what the daughter said in her police report: “Throughout the journey, he was quiet except while driving towards Ang Mo Kio Street 64. He kept asking if I was free and I had extra time. I told him that I was late and I need to be in school as I have class at 11am.
“While we were at the dead end, he stopped and wanted me to sit at the front seat. He also said he wanted to take me home. I insisted again that I have to be in school. He almost got (out of) the car but he did not. He then claimed that he is a student from NTU.
“After a while he apologised and continued driving and told her to get off along Ang Mo Kio Street 64.
“I did not want to have any contact with him hence, I placed $17 on the rear seat and got (out of) the car.”
According to stomp.straitstimes.com, Grab had suspended the driver, and the incident was under investigation.
The company said: “Grab is aware of this incident and has suspended the said driver-partner as investigations are ongoing. Our users’ safety are (sic) important to us and we have zero tolerance for indecent behaviour. We urge both passengers and driver-partners to treat each other with respect.”
Ms Phua’s post was shared almost 2,000 times by evening. /TISG