Bengaluru: A commuter in South Bengaluru was reportedly surrounded and threatened by a group of auto drivers after he chose to book a Rapido bike ride instead of hiring an auto-rickshaw. The man detailed the entire incident in a Reddit post titled 'Got Ganged Up by Auto Drivers for Taking a Rapido.'
Have a look at it here:
What Did the Commuter Allege?
According to the commuter's Reddit post, the incident took place outside a metro station where he was trying to book a Rapido bike. An auto driver who was standing nearby, reportedly approached him aggressively, saying, “Don’t book, I’ll take you.” However, the commuter chose to ignore his demand.
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“As soon as the Rapido guy arrived, I hopped on his bike, and suddenly, the auto guys started howling and shouting things like, ‘You’ll go with him? I’ll see you!’” he added to his post.
Annoyed by the intimidation, the commuter admitted to responding with an inappropriate gesture, which he later described as a "big mistake." The situation escalated when the same auto driver overtook the Rapido bike and blocked their way, proceeding to threaten the commuter. He allegedly justified his actions by saying he was only "teasing" the Rapido driver and didn’t expect the commuter to react aggressively.
Auto-Drivers Gave Death Threats to the Commuter
As the tensions escalated, more auto drivers and two men on scooters allegedly surrounded the commuter and the Rapido driver. “We will cut your hand off,” “If we make up our minds, we’ll make your life hell,” and “Even if you know the DC or SP, nothing will happen to us. We’re locals, and we’ll wreak havoc,” they reportedly said.
The commuter said that he dialled 112 in panic. Although the police arrived, he claimed that the officers focused more on reprimanding him for his gesture than addressing the auto drivers' threats.
What disturbed him further was the apparent familiarity between the officers and the auto drivers. One officer allegedly told them in Kannada, “Hit him and send him away.”
He concluded his post by writing, “So yeah, the police actually saved me, but the way they handled it… not so great. Auto drivers are something else, man."
This incident comes after a reported violent clash between auto drivers in RR Nagar, where four men were arrested after a fight involving iron rods.
