Bengaluru commuter mobbed by auto drivers for booking bike taxi, alleges police apathy

In a disturbing episode that has sparked outrage among Bengaluru residents, a city commuter was allegedly harassed, threatened, and nearly assaulted by a group of autorickshaw drivers—all for choosing to book a bike taxi via a ride-hailing app, reports The Economic Times.

The incident came to light after the man, visibly shaken by the ordeal, shared his experience on Reddit, warning others of the aggressive tactics employed by some local auto drivers.

It began with a simple app booking

The commuter had just exited a metro station and was in the process of booking a two-wheeler cab on his mobile phone when an autorickshaw driver nearby aggressively interrupted him. “Don’t book that! I’ll drop you; come with me!” the driver barked, attempting to coerce the man into choosing his auto instead.

Refusing to be bullied, the man went ahead and confirmed his bike taxi booking. But what followed was far from ordinary.

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Hostility escalates rapidly

As soon as the bike taxi arrived and the commuter hopped on, a group of auto drivers nearby erupted in fury. “You’re going with him? I’ll deal with you!” one of them shouted, with others quickly joining in. In a moment of frustration, the man made an obscene hand gesture—a move he later admitted was impulsive but made under stress.

That single act turned the situation volatile.

Surrounded, threatened, and outnumbered

Soon after, the initial autorickshaw driver pursued the bike taxi, forced it to stop mid-ride, and confronted the man again. He claimed the earlier aggression was “just teasing” but accused the passenger of escalating things unnecessarily, says the ET report.

Within minutes, the commuter was encircled by around 7–8 autorickshaw drivers and a few others on scooters. Their verbal intimidation quickly took a threatening tone:

“We’ll chop your hand off!”

“You won’t walk around this city again!”

“Even if you know top cops, it won’t matter. We’re locals—we’ll finish you off!”

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A call to 112 and an unexpected police reaction

Fearing the worst, the man dialed 112. The emergency response may have prevented physical harm, but the encounter with police raised even more eyebrows.

Rather than condemning the mob’s actions, the police questioned the man for his rude gesture. While he acknowledged it wasn’t the wisest move, he was stunned by the officer’s familiarity with the group and their dismissive attitude. One cop, he claims, even said to the group, “Hit him and send him off,” before diffusing the situation.

Public backlash and deeper concerns

The incident has triggered a wave of frustration among Bengalureans, many of whom are already weary of dealing with what they call the city's "auto mafia."

One commenter summed up the public mood: “Your periodic reminder that autorickshaw guys in Bangalore are full-time goons on politicians’ payroll and part-time drivers.”

The commuter’s post not only sheds light on the strong-arm tactics of some auto drivers but also raises serious questions about police impartiality and the safety of citizens using legitimate transport services in the city.

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