Singapore — A woman who was simply listening to music using her earbuds during her trip with ride-sharing platform Ryde was alarmed to be told by the driver that he did not like what she was listening to. The woman then shared her “traumatic” experience involving the Ryde driver.
Upon settling down in the vehicle, the Malay Muslim lady began using her earbuds. Soon after, the driver started gesturing to the woman, informing her she couldn’t listen to prayers.
“At first, I didn’t understand what he meant. Initially, I thought he was simply saying that listening to music using earbuds can harm my ears. I thought he meant well,” said the passenger.
“However, he said that the ‘energy’ will change in the car if I am listening to prayers, and he does not like it.”
The driver had allegedly told the woman that she couldn’t listen to prayers even if she used earbuds.
“If I had been blasting prayers or loud music, I would have been an inconsiderate passenger,” the woman noted.
But my earbuds were in my ears, and he had no say or rights to what I was listening to, she added.
When the woman informed the driver to drop her off as she felt uncomfortable by his “racist and Islamophobic” behaviour, the driver insisted on being paid his commission.
The woman requested to be dropped off nearby, so she could inform Ryde about the incident.
“During the time I told him that I want to alight, he paused and accelerated the car,” said the passenger.
“I was in a contained space. I felt really vulnerable, and my safety was threatened. I felt as if I was being controlled, and he has a privilege to control me just because I was in his car,” the woman noted, feeling “deeply traumatised” by what happened.
The incident was shared on social media by an Instagram page Wake Up Singapore on Friday (Dec 3).
In another post, Wake Up Singapore uploaded video footage of the woman telling the driver to let her alight from the vehicle.
“The commission, you have to pay, you know,” a male voice was heard saying.
It was mentioned in her statement that the passenger had already submitted the evidence to Ryde.
However, after two days, she felt like the company “did not take the incident seriously” given the lack of response.
On a separate post, Wake Up Singapore shared a statement by Ryde.
“Ryde is aware of the incident concerning our rider and driver and have seen the video circulating around.”
The company issued an apology to the woman, noting it “champions the diversity, inclusivity and the importance of creating a safe and healthy community.”
Ryde noted it does not condone “defamatory, abusive, obscene comments that hurt one’s sexual orientation, or are racially and religiously offensive or otherwise harassing.”
The company vowed to work better in training its driver-partners to be respectful and enact harsher penalties for those who violate these standards.
Ryde also apologised for the delay in responding to the incident. “This is yet another point we will work on improving.”
“We absolutely do not condone such behaviour and would like to reassure the rider, the public and all hurt by this event that we have suspended the driver,” said Ryde.
Ryde confirmed it has since refunded the passenger in full. /TISG
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