Singapore – Another Go-Jek driver-passenger incident is making the rounds on social media but this time, it is the driver who has reacted dramatically to the situation – all for S$7.
A 7-minute video on SG Road Vigilante’s (SGRV) Facebook page on Mar 30 showed an elderly couple with a Private Hire Driver engaged in an argument over the fare. According to the couple, they booked the trip at S$14.10. However, it was S$21.10 on the driver’s app.
The elderly man had been in the middle of a phonecall with Go-Jek’s customer service when the video started.
Portion of the transcript
Elderly man (EM) (To phone customer service officer (CSO): Driver is telling me it’s S$21.
Go-Jek driver: The app shows S$21.10 (Proceeds to folds his arms defiantly).
(There is a pause as both parties wait for customer service feedback.)
Driver (Smugly): And, there’s a surge in pricing for your info, hor.
(More waiting.)
EM (To CSO): Tell me. It was originally indicated S$14.10 when I picked the booking. Then suddenly when the driver came, yeah, it’s S$21… .
Driver (Interrupting their conversation): It shows in my app S$21.10.
EM (Gestures to the driver to calm down and stop interrupting): I’m not saying you. I’m not arguing with you … . I’m just telling …
Driver (Interrupting once more): No! You don’t waste my time! I’m driving to …
EM: I’m not wasting your time, you tell me …
Driver: For S$7?! I … I’m driving to earn my incentive you knowww?!
EM (Calmly): You can drop me out. It’s just fine.
Driver (Angrily): That’s what you … I cannot cancel! It’s not the problem!
EM (To driver, while pointing to his phone): I’m talking on the phone with your people at the moment.
(Meanwhile, the woman watches the interchange between the men.)
Driver: Seven dollars, you want to make an issue? Waste my time. Eh! You’re driving Mercedes one is it?
EM: That’s none of your bloody business, please.
(The lady proceeds to take her wallet out, in foresight.)
Driver (Raises a finger): Please talk to me with respect.
EM (To CSO): S$13.20. Yes, ok … I … I don’t know … Eh, ya. What. Ya. Ok, tell me that … What. Ya … I don’t know. My point is when you indicated down there was S$14.10, that’s what I’m trying to say. Ya … My point right now is this, he’s charging me S$21…
Driver (Turns his head and raises a pointed finger on cue): I am not charging you! The app shows S$21.10. It’s not my problem!
EM (To CSO): Your app is putting S$21…
Driver (Still pointing): Don’t accuse me!
Woman passenger (Pats driver on the shoulder): Ok. Ok.
EM (To CSO): Your app is putting S$21…
Driver (interrupting and his pointing finger): I’m not a millionaire like you.
EM (looks annoyed and continues to CSO): You should have indicated down there! How can you put S$14.10 and then it went up to twenty over dollars? It never happened before, I take Grab I never have this kind of occasion. Yes, so can you do something about it really … it’s not fair to him and it’s not fair to me, too.
Driver: Don’t make your problem to be my problem. Know? Brother.
EM (to CSO): Yes. Ok. So, what do we do? Your driver wants it to get it out as soon as possible.
Driver: I want to get it out? Don’t accuse me again!
EM: Please. Do you want to move, right?
Driver: I want to move? You are the one that wants to stop the whole thing. Don’t make your problem to be my problem. Let me get this clear to you…
The rest of the conversation commences on the same note, with the driver hell-bent in getting that S$7 minus any passenger complaints on Go-Jek’s records.
Towards the end, the couple had become willing to pay the extra charge, noting that the problem was with the system and not the driver.
However, the driver had become anxious about accruing a filed customer complaint and the extra $7 then being deducted from his wages: “But you are kicking up a fuss causing me inconvenience! That’s the problem! It becomes my problem!”
Then, the driver used his video recording as a threat, “Don’t worry, I’ll make it very big. Trust me, brother.”
The elderly man then said he would sort it out directly with Go-Jek but, the driver was having none of it: “No! Wait, you know why? Because if you sort out with Go-Jek, Go-Jek will minus out S$7 from my account. Let me put it clear to you, anything it becomes driver problem. Always driver’s problem. That is the problem.”
A 7-minute video for S$7. Watch the full clip below:
30mar2019updated the driver had been id to be Aaron Hengwhom had no intention to post the video but was play out by his whatsapp grp chat friendshttps://www.facebook.com/1631826980245346/posts/2140384729389566?sfns=mohere we have a self entitled gojerk driver which totally lack customer service & lost the plot.if you’re so unhappy with gojek, please do not drive for them.taking it out on the old couples which is trying to adapt to new tech is not the way to go.the old couple agreed to pay but will take it up with gojek later, which is proper.but you have to kickup such a fuss.video record & upload trying to shame them.by the way. its illegal to record incar footage unless driver have permission/ approval from lta
Posted by SG Road Vigilante – SGRV on Friday, 29 March 2019
In less than a day, the video has garnered over 71,000 views with many comments on the driver’s irrational reaction to the incident.
The driver speaks up
SGRV has uploaded an update on the incident and states that the driver, Aaron Heng, has reached out to them.
Mr Heng noted that he posted the video in a group chat with friends asking for advice, but the video made it to Facebook.
He admits his rude attitude toward the couple and that he deserved to be reported to LTA and Go-Jek, “but credit must be given to his group of sh*tty WhatApp buddies that got him into this pile of mess,” said Mr Heng to SGRV.
Mr Heng has allegedly filed a police report, listing down the people in his groupchat and asking the authorities to look into this matter.
Below is his statement on the incident, which he posted in his Facebook profile:
Hi. I am the driver in this video. I'm drive as a Private Hire Driver to earn a honest living to provide for my family….
Posted by Aaron Heng on Saturday, 30 March 2019