A Hyderabad woman's post on Reddit describing a frightening Rapido auto ride has gone viral. The driver allegedly double-booked rides, lied about routes, later followed her demanding extra money. Her experience has sparked wave of similar complaints.
A Hyderabad commuter has described a disturbing experience with a Rapido auto driver who allegedly double-booked passengers, lied about routes, and later followed her on foot shouting for more money, even after being paid fairly. The woman, who posted under the Reddit username r/hyderabad, titled her ordeal as "Today’s Rapido experience: Swami by day, scammer by night 🙃."
Her detailed post has drawn hundreds of reactions from locals, many of whom shared similar encounters with aggressive or dishonest drivers in Hyderabad.
Auto driver double-books rides and lies about route
According to her post, the incident began when she booked an auto from her office to her home. Because evening rides are often difficult to find, she and a friend agreed to pay an extra Rs 50 on top of the Rs 360 fare shown on the app.
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When they reached their pickup point, they were surprised to find another woman already sitting in the auto. The driver told them that she was 'getting down on the way,' which seemed reasonable at first. However, they soon realised that her destination was not on their route at all.
As they confronted him, he explained that he had taken the other woman’s booking offline and was managing both rides together, something completely against company policy.
'Swami' act to avoid blame
The situation worsened when the driver, who was wearing a mala, began claiming that he was a Swami (a holy man) and told the passenger she should not “be rude” to him. She replied sharply that if he was truly spiritual, he should not lie and cheat people.
Things escalated when the driver cancelled the official booking on his phone, falsely accusing her of cancelling it first. “He grins and cancels the ride in front of us,” she wrote. "When I confronted him, he said, ‘Swamy, you only cancelled!'"
30 minutes delay and continued harassment
The driver dropped off the first woman after a long detour, collecting Rs 300 from her before returning to continue the main trip. By then, the passenger was already 30 minutes late. She asked him to take the usual route through Paradise, but he refused, saying he was “late for his puja” and insisted on going through Tank Bund instead.
When they finally reached her drop-off point, he demanded Rs 400, arguing that he had wasted time and petrol. She refused, pointing out that he had already earned Rs 300 from the other passenger. She instead paid Rs 250 and got down on the main street, fearing for her safety.
However, the driver allegedly followed her on foot, shouting for the remaining amount and creating a scene until two bystanders intervened. “He eventually backed off after I added another Rs 50,” she wrote. “So in the end, I paid Rs 300 total.”
Social media reaction: Fear and frustration
The post quickly gained attention on Reddit’s Hyderabad community page, with hundreds of comments from users describing similar incidents and expressing fear over the growing trend of aggressive behaviour among drivers.
One commenter wrote, “Religion is the perfect mask in India. Wear it and you can do whatever you want.” They shared how an auto driver once hit their car and tried to use religion to avoid accountability, only to be confronted with, “Don’t teach me religion, teach him how to drive.”
Another Reddit user described a disturbing experience with an Uber driver who became violent over a Rs 30 fare dispute. The driver allegedly blocked the commuter’s car, snatched their bag, and harassed them in the middle of the road before security guards intervened. "He didn’t want the money, he just wanted to cause a scene," the user wrote.
A third user shared how they were forced to involve the police after a Rapido driver in Hyderabad took a wrong route, adding more than an hour to their journey and then demanding extra payment. "He had already broken several traffic rules,” they said. “We later found out he had a very low rating and had been in trouble before."
Many commenters said that due to such unsafe experiences, they had stopped using auto or bike taxi services altogether and had bought their own vehicles instead.
Rising concern over passenger safety
The thread has raised questions about driver verification, passenger safety, and the lack of accountability among app-based transport providers. Users pointed out that while platforms like Rapido and Uber offer customer support, many complaints go unanswered or unresolved.
Residents also expressed disappointment that the growing number of unprofessional drivers is affecting the city’s reputation. One user wrote, "Hyderabad private transport is hijacked by unprofessional people. It’s getting unsafe for women, especially in the evenings."
A worrying trend for Hyderabad commuters
Incidents like these reflect the growing tension between passengers and drivers in major Indian cities, particularly where app-based transport is booming. While many drivers work honestly under pressure, a small number of bad actors are damaging public trust.
As the post continues to circulate online, users have called for stricter action by Rapido and other similar apps to ensure verified drivers, route tracking, and better response to passenger complaints.
For many Hyderabad commuters, however, the incident serves as a warning that even a simple evening ride home can turn stressful, or even frightening.
