"Not Only Carpooling, But Also Going for Delivery?"... Taxi Driver Abandons Passenger After Argument on the Road

Chinese Female University Student Heading to Airport Faces Bizarre Incident in Taxi
Shared Ride with Alleged Relative Turns Out to Be Another Passenger
Protested After Receiving Transport Order, Then Abandoned on Highway

A story about a taxi driver in China abandoning a passenger on the highway has recently come to light. On the 8th, Hongxing News reported, "A 19-year-old woman heading to the airport by taxi experienced the absurd situation of being left in the middle of the highway." On the morning of the 30th of last month, Xiao Kang used a taxi reservation platform to go to Tianjin Binhai International Airport. Due to circumstances at the time, Ms. Xiao boarded the taxi about 16 minutes late.

Taxi driver Mr. A unloading Mr. Xiao's luggage. Photo by Baidu

Before departure, taxi driver A told Ms. Xiao, "A relative is riding in the car with me, so if it's uncomfortable, I will discount 15 yuan (about 2,970 won) from the taxi fare." Ms. Xiao accepted this and got in. However, it was not A’s relative but another passenger who was actually in the car. A also received additional orders for transporting goods afterward. Because of this, Ms. Xiao had to take a different route than originally planned.

Angry, Ms. Xiao began confronting driver A. Then, while driving on the highway, A suddenly pulled the car over to the shoulder, shouted at Ms. Xiao to get out, and hurled insults. A video of the incident shows Ms. Xiao saying, "This is a highway," and insisting she could not get out, but A forcibly dragged her out. Ms. Xiao’s luggage in the trunk was also abandoned.

During this process, Ms. Xiao sustained an ankle injury and missed her flight. She later demanded compensation for airfare, medical expenses, and emotional distress from the taxi platform and driver A. Netizens who heard the story flooded social media with criticism of the taxi platform and driver A. Some argued that Ms. Xiao boarding the taxi 16 minutes late was problematic, but the majority agreed that A’s behavior was wrong.

The platform reportedly has a policy of single reservations only and prohibits ride-sharing. The platform stated, "After receiving the complaint, we immediately confirmed the passenger’s safety and took follow-up measures, and the taxi driver’s account has been blocked," adding, "We will actively support the handling of this matter."