Pune driver insists picking up male friend mid-ride, asks women in cab to 'manage'

A late-night cab ride in Pune took an uncomfortable turn when a driver asked three women passengers to let his friend hitch a ride midway through their journey, asking them to "adjust" for him.

The incident came to light through a now-viral video shared on X by Lakshay Mehta, which captured the conversation between the passengers and the driver after the cab came to an unexpected stop.

In the video, the driver was heard asking the women to book another cab from that point. When one of the passengers questioned why he had stopped midway instead of informing them before the trip began, the driver replied, "Can't you manage for one kilometre?"

The women refused, saying they had booked a private cab and should not have been expected to adjust for someone they did not know. They argued that if the driver intended to pick up his friend along the way, he should have informed them before the journey started.

The driver continued insisting that it was only for about a kilometre. He claimed he was running low on CNG and did not have enough fuel to return after dropping off his friend.

One of the women then asked whether he planned to reduce their fare or charge his friend instead. The driver responded, "Why would I take money from my friend?"

The passenger replied that they were effectively being asked to pay for someone else's ride. "If we wanted to manage anything, do you think we would've booked a cab?" she asked.

The driver was then seen smiling and speaking in Marathi to a man standing outside the vehicle, who was believed to be the friend he wanted to pick up.

Watch the video here:

The video quickly gained traction online, with many viewers backing the passengers and raising concerns over rider safety.

Several users argued that no cab driver should ask passengers to share a pre-booked ride with an unknown person without their consent, regardless of the distance involved.

Others pointed out that the fact the passengers were three women travelling at night made the request even more concerning.

Some commenters also called for action against the driver, saying the incident should be reported to both the cab aggregator and the police so that similar situations could be prevented in the future.

A late-night cab ride in Pune took an uncomfortable turn when a driver asked three women passengers to let his friend hitch a ride midway through their journey, asking them to "adjust" for him.

The incident came to light through a now-viral video shared on X by Lakshay Mehta, which captured the conversation between the passengers and the driver after the cab came to an unexpected stop.

In the video, the driver was heard asking the women to book another cab from that point. When one of the passengers questioned why he had stopped midway instead of informing them before the trip began, the driver replied, "Can't you manage for one kilometre?"

The women refused, saying they had booked a private cab and should not have been expected to adjust for someone they did not know. They argued that if the driver intended to pick up his friend along the way, he should have informed them before the journey started.

The driver continued insisting that it was only for about a kilometre. He claimed he was running low on CNG and did not have enough fuel to return after dropping off his friend.

One of the women then asked whether he planned to reduce their fare or charge his friend instead. The driver responded, "Why would I take money from my friend?"

The passenger replied that they were effectively being asked to pay for someone else's ride. "If we wanted to manage anything, do you think we would've booked a cab?" she asked.

The driver was then seen smiling and speaking in Marathi to a man standing outside the vehicle, who was believed to be the friend he wanted to pick up.

Watch the video here:

The video quickly gained traction online, with many viewers backing the passengers and raising concerns over rider safety.

Several users argued that no cab driver should ask passengers to share a pre-booked ride with an unknown person without their consent, regardless of the distance involved.

Others pointed out that the fact the passengers were three women travelling at night made the request even more concerning.

Some commenters also called for action against the driver, saying the incident should be reported to both the cab aggregator and the police so that similar situations could be prevented in the future.