Uber cab driver in Mysuru harasses customer’s grandparents, demands extra fee, company responds

A woman from Mysuru has recounted her alarming experience of harassment by an Uber driver. The incident began as a routine airport ride but escalated to harassment involving her family. She shared her ordeal on LinkedIn, which has sparked significant awareness and discussion on the employment-oriented social media platform, prompting a response from the ride-sharing company.

The incident began when Nidhi Tara booked an Uber cab to take her family to Kempegowda International Airport. Upon arrival, the driver demanded an additional Rs 2,500 on top of the agreed fare of Rs 2,407.96, claiming it was needed for tolls. When she refused, a confrontation ensued, during which the driver became aggressive and threatened her family. Fortunately, bystanders intervened, forcing the driver to leave the scene.

The situation escalated further when the same driver returned to Tara’s grandparents’ house, her initial pick-up point, around 10:30 PM the following evening. He began harassing her grandparents, insisting they owed him money and claiming he had been defrauded.

In her LinkedIn post, Tara expressed her dissatisfaction with Uber's customer service, noting that despite multiple attempts to contact the company, she received no adequate response. “I am calling for urgent action. This is not just about one incident but about ensuring no other family has to experience something like this again," Tara wrote on LinkedIn. 

Uber responded to the public outcry by issuing an apology and confirming that a specialised team was investigating the incident. The company added that they “will be in touch in-app as soon as they have any updates".

In a follow-up comment to her widely shared post, Tara stated that Uber has disregarded her concerns and treated the situation "casually." She mentioned, “Even after escalating the matter with the hashtag #LinkedIn, here is your grievance team giving me missed calls (my phone literally rang for a second and the call got disconnected the minute I answered), demonstrating how casually grievances are handled at Uber." She also shared a screenshot of her conversation with the company.

Many passengers have shared their own experiences of harassment and unsafe practices by drivers, calling for more robust measures to protect users.

A user wrote, “Uber’s customer care and safety services are severely lacking. I’ve experienced multiple instances where drivers have taken unsafe, isolated routes during late-night or early-morning rides, despite my requests to stay on main roads. This is especially common in Bengaluru and poses significant risks when commuting alone at odd hours."

Another person commented, “Uber drivers are very aggressive in South India. For all airport rides, they ask for an extra toll even when the toll is included in the total fare. I wouldn’t recommend taking Uber for intercity travel in South India. Whenever I take Uber in Bengaluru, they ask for an extra toll amount at the end of the ride at the airport. They aren’t being trained properly about the fare."

Meanwhile, Tara stated in another post that she and her grandparents were contacted by Uber’s Grievance Team, who assured them that the matter was being addressed.