A Bengaluru man has gone viral on social media after he posted a video of driving a cab after his driver fell asleep. Milind Chandwani, a startup founder and an IIM graduate, was returning home late at night from Bengaluru Airport when he booked the cab. Taking to Instagram, Mr Chandwani wrote that the driver appeared to be sleepy and despite multiple breaks, could not get himself up to speed, before handing the steering wheel to the passenger.

“Last night at 3 AM while returning from Bengaluru airport, I found myself in an unexpected role: my cab driver’s driver,” Mr Chandwani captioned the video where the driver could be seen dozing off on the passenger seat.

“He was so sleepy, he even stopped for tea and a cigarette but still couldn’t keep his eyes open. So, I offered to drive, and to my surprise, he handed me the keys faster than I could say “Bengaluru traffic.”

After the driver went to sleep, Mr Chandwani could be seen navigating through Bengaluru’s streets with Google Maps guiding him.

“He immediately reclined his seat, passed out, and left me to navigate the city with Google Maps as my co-pilot. Five minutes before we reached, his boss called, and I overheard him asking for a day shift because he couldn’t handle the night shift anymore,” he added.

The video quickly went viral, amassing attention on social platforms with over 13.2 million views and hundreds of comments. It sparked a range of responses from social media users, with many appreciating the act of kindness while others calling out the driver for putting his and Mr Chandwani’s life in jeopardy.

Also Read | Woman Details “Traumatising” Experience With “Disgusting” Rapido Driver

Another incident

On Reddit, another user shared a video of his cab driver falling asleep during a trip from Saket, Delhi to Gurugram. The passenger who was forced to drive the vehicle said he was still “shaking” after the incident.

“I’m still shaking a bit. I booked an Uber from Select Citywalk, Saket to Sector 85, Gurgaon, with a midway drop in Najafgarh. The driver was late, but I figured it was because of the heavy rain all day,” the OP said.

“At first, he was responsive, but as soon as we hit the expressway, I noticed he was driving erratically-swerving between lanes, almost hitting the divider. I looked over and realized he was falling asleep at the wheel.”

My Uber Driver Fell Asleep While Driving – I Had to Take Over the Wheel
byu/Intelligent_Sign_737 ingurgaon

After driving to his destination, the OP got down while the driver woke up and instantly accepted another ride.

A cab driver’s set of six rules for all his potential passengers has taken the internet by storm. The man, who printed and displayed the rules in his vehicle, demands politeness, respect and no “attitude” from customers. His cab protocol prohibits passengers from addressing him as “bhaiya” (brother) or asking him to speed up. Another rule urges passengers to “close the door slowly.”  

Driver’s one of the most straightforward reminders to passengers is that they don’t own the cab. “You are not the owner of the cab, the person driving the cab is the owner of the cab,” his rule read.

The fourth rule addresses the issue of passengers showing attitude. “Put your attitude in your pocket please don’t show it to us because you are not giving more money to us.”

At the end, an important note read: “Don’t say to drive fast. Be on time.”

The list was shared on Reddit by a user who remarked, “I have booked a cab and the cab driver mentioned some guidelines on the cab! What do you think about these guidelines?” 

I have booked a cab and the cab driver mentioned some guidelines on the cab! What do you about these guidelines?
byu/Your_Friendly_Panda inCarsIndia

While some commended him, others labelled him “entitled”.

A user commented, “Most points are fair but what’s with – don’t call us bhaiya?”

Comment
byu/Your_Friendly_Panda from discussion
inCarsIndia

Another wrote, “As long as it is mentioned for mutual respect it’s perfectly fine. And things like closing the door softly and not disturbing the driver are basic manners.”

Comment
byu/Your_Friendly_Panda from discussion
inCarsIndia

Someone else said, “He’s right and there’s nothing wrong with his guidelines. Our country people has this habit of looking down on cab drivers, delivery people and stuff. In fact, this has to be common sense.”

Comment
byu/Your_Friendly_Panda from discussion
inCarsIndia

Meanwhile, one user noted, “The beginning made sense, but at the end it was just topped with a hypothetical ego & totalitarian attitude! & It negated all the valuable insights that he might have had earlier.”

Comment
byu/Your_Friendly_Panda from discussion
inCarsIndia

“All these cabs charge hell lot of money for not so clean, non functional AC and stinky rides,” a comment read. 

Comment
byu/Your_Friendly_Panda from discussion
inCarsIndia

This comes months after a video of a woman verbally abusing an Uber driver after a cab breakdown went viral. In the clip, the woman lashed out at the driver, accusing him of being rude and driving a “cheap” car.