[UPDATE: Jan 9, 12pm]

Speaking to AsiaOne, a Grab spokesperson confirmed that the driver's account has been temporarily suspended.

"We are sorry to learn about this unpleasant incident. It is against the driver's code of conduct to ask for additional charges."

Grab added that for special requests, they hope all parties on their platforms "will communicate considerably and with understanding".

Those of us who've used crutches before would understand the pain and inconvenience of walking from place to place with those aids. 

So, it can be upsetting when others are not only unhelpful but rude towards those in such a situation. 

One woman, who goes by the name Syaf, experienced this firsthand and shared the incident in a TikTok video uploaded yesterday (Jan 4). 

The 21-year-old said she had injured herself "pretty badly" recently and requires crutches. 

On Tuesday (Jan 3), she shared that it was raining at her Bishan office and as it was located on the third floor, she was concerned about having to take the stairs down to the first floor. 

"I tried not to go down to the first floor because it's really slippery and I could slip and fall and hurt myself even further," explained Syaf who was trying to get a ride home. 

So, she gave her Grab driver a "heads-up" and asked if he could pick her up from level three of the carpark instead. 

"Mind you, if it's not raining and the ground is not slippery, I will go down to the first floor just so that I don't trouble them," she clarified. 

However, instead of being understanding, the driver said that he'll have to charge her extra. 

When Syaf questioned him, he replied: "Then good luck to you [because you] must be fair [to] us. How much is your fare? Is it fair for us?" 

Syaf later highlighted in that TikTok video that this isn't the first time she has been "scolded or schooled" by drivers over her asking for help as she's on crutches.

"Some people have said to me 'Oh, if I knew you were on crutches, I wouldn't have accepted your booking'," she recounted. 

"Many have scolded me for troubling them and asking them to come up to the third floor."

Syaf also clarified that she is not insinuating that all private hire drivers are like that and that she has met multiple drivers who've been helpful to her while she's been on crutches. 

However, it is the driver's job to "provide a good service to [their] customer", she added. 

"Don't make your passenger feel like shit for the disability that they cannot control. Do better, please. Not just for me, but for everybody else out there," she said.  

Speaking to AsiaOne, Syaf said that she "was very disappointed at the driver's rude response". 

"He could have just said he didn't want to come up and be on his way, yet he demanded compensation and was rude when I questioned him about it," she said. 

Driver suspended

Syaf said she then reported the incident to Grab and they said that they've "resolved the issue", including placing the driver on a temporary 72-hour suspension. 

Additionally, she said that Grab told her that drivers "are not supposed to demand compensation as the pickup location was within the same building". 

She also told AsiaOne that a netizen posted her TikTok video on Facebook group PHV Community and another netizen claiming to be the driver responded to her allegations. 

The driver explained that while he could empathise with Syaf's situation, the fare didn't justify him driving over to Syaf's destination as he was far away, let alone pick her up from the third level. 

Also, since Grab did not offer him a "pick-up bonus" for her trip, he asked her to pay him an additional fee instead. 

"At [a] usual time, [for] people with disabilities [and] wheelchairs, I will definitely help," he explained, adding that he does not want to stay in the industry anymore. 

The driver also shared that he was glad to see many people in the comments section of the Facebook post supporting his decision. 

"At least I [don't feel] guilty for cancelling such [a] job," he said. 

Apart from that, the driver also brought up Syaf's religion and nose piercing, which did not sit well with her. 

"Honestly, I feel bad [for getting the driver suspended] and I still do, but I am quite disappointed he degraded my religion and appearance," she told AsiaOne. 

AsiaOne has reached out to Grab and the driver for more details. 

ALSO READ: Grab driver drives off with passenger's belongings, demands $20 'fee' to return them

melissateo@asiaone.com

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