KUALA LUMPUR: A scathing tweet denouncing an e-hailing service gained viral attention on social media due to its abrupt ride cancellations without any justification for the inconvenience caused to users.
User @merxvib3s angrily criticised Grab in his tweet, expressing frustration over its wastefulness despite being nearby while highlighting the service's inefficiency and blaming the driver for making him late.
He attached screenshots that revealed a conversation between him and the Grab driver, where the driver messaged, "Sorry, I can't pick you up. Please cancel and rebook. Later you'll get a nearer driver."
Expressing frustration, the user repeatedly questioned the driver's decision, highlighting his already tardy situation after waiting and now facing additional delay due to the sudden cancellation.
However, what struck readers profoundly was the driver's rudeness and absence of empathy in response.
The driver curtly replied, "If you're in such a hurry, why not cancel. Annoying."
This exchange left many stunned by the driver's dismissive attitude despite the inconvenience caused to the user.
The tweet gained widespread attention, amassing 2.4 million views since its posting yesterday.
This surge in viewership primarily stems from the shared experiences of numerous individuals who have encountered similarly poor treatment by Grab drivers.
A user, @ctnurhidaya, recounted an experience where she suspected a Grab driver of attempting to charge her a late fee and pocket extra money by marking 'arrived' before reaching the pickup point and then not moving from that location.
Taking proactive steps, she documented the evidence by capturing screenshots of the driver's location before and after the scheduled pickup time to show the lack of movement.
Consequently, she cancelled the ride before incurring any late fees, promptly booked a new ride, and reported the incident to Grab. Grab responded within days, confirming the driver's suspension.
"No wonder it got many retweets. Many people face the same thing. I usually screenshot my drivers' details once I've booked a ride for safety reasons.
"Then, a few seconds before getting hit with a late fee, I take another screenshot. I've been charged a late fee before (my fault), so I'm a bit cautious about this matter," she added.
In alignment with the previous tweet, user @snilaniiii echoed the concern regarding the conduct of e-hailing drivers, expressing dissatisfaction with the recent behaviour of Grab.
"Why is Grab behaving like this now? I faced a similar situation earlier when I booked a Grab delivery rider who was very close, less than 200 metres away, but didn't move for a long time.
"Then he cancelled, and I had to book again, resulting in further wait."@Ktinthemood also shared a past incident, as she recounted a driver refusing service due to traffic after she had already boarded the car.
"I got into the car, and then the driver saw traffic and said sorry, ma'am, I can't take you because of the traffic... what nonsense.
"And then he dropped me off at a hot place, in an old Myvi without air conditioning... I reported him. I don't know if he's still a Grab driver now... it's totally not acceptable."