Woman in China demands cabby drive 50km to return phone she left behind, refuses to pay for additional journey

If you left your phone in a cab, should the driver return it for free?

A woman in China was recently slammed for demanding that a private hire vehicle (PHV) driver travel 50km to return her mobile phone that she had left behind, for free. 

The unidentified woman from southeastern Guangdong province booked a ride-hailing service from Guangzhou to Zhaoqing on Nov 12, according to Chinese media. 

After getting dropped off, the woman realised that she'd left her device, an Apple iPhone, in the vehicle, NetEase reported. She immediately contacted the PHV driver demanding that he return it.

"I am not available at the moment, and I've left the location where I dropped you off a long time ago," the driver, identified in local media as Xiao Wang, replied.

He then offered to return the phone for a fare of 100 yuan (S$19) for the trip, according to South China Morning Post (SCMP).

"I am not driving for charity. I need to pay for petrol," Xiao Wang added in a video which he captured.

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Refusing to pay for the additional trip by Xiao Wang to return her phone, the woman insisted that it is his responsibility to do so. 

Xiao Wang suggested that she should travel to him instead, as it was her mistake for carelessly leaving it behind.

Unhappy with his response, the woman threatened that she would make an official complaint against him.

"You can do that," Xiao Wang replied, adding that he will return her phone to a police station in Guangzhou.

The woman then proceeded to falsely accuse Xiao Wang of stealing her phone.

Enraged, Xiao Wang ended the call with her and has since returned the phone to a police station in Guangzhou.

The video of the incident circulated on social media, with many appalled by the woman's behaviour towards Xiao Wang. 

One commented: "This woman is very selfish".

"She is asking the driver to pay for her mistake," said another.

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ashwini.balan@asiaone.com