Taking a private-hire ride in Singapore is usually a quiet, uneventful affair. Most of the time, you hop in, scroll on your phone, say a polite “Thank you, uncle,” and go about your day.

But lately, it feels like our local ride-hailing rides are turning into a wild lottery.

Just days after a Gojek driver made headlines for allegedly proposing a “threesome” to a couple, another uncomfortable encounter has gone viral on TikTok. This time, a 20-year-old student and content creator, Sarah Lim (@sarxh.lim), shared a one-minute video documenting a ride that left her—and thousands of viewers—feeling incredibly uneasy.

Here is exactly what went down.

“I Immediately Started Recording”

According to Sarah, the vibe checked out the moment she stepped into the vehicle. Sensing that the conversation was pivoting into weird territory, she smartly opened her phone and hit record.

In the video, the driver can be heard bombarding the student with persistent, highly personal remarks about her appearance, race, and dialect group.

Some of the highlights (or lowlights) from the driver included:

• On her looks: “For a Chinese, you got really nice tan skin.”
• On her appeal: He called her “charming” and casually remarked that there is a “demand” for women like her.
• On her dialect: When he asked about her background and she mentioned she was part Cantonese, the driver exclaimed: “Oh my God, I love Cantonese girls. They’re so good looking, man. Canto is really a sexy language to learn.”

Throughout the clip, Sarah can be heard laughing nervously and looking away, visibly frozen and unsure of how to handle the situation while trapped in the moving vehicle.

Grab Steps In, LTA Weighs In

The video quickly racked up over 222,000 views, catching the attention of Grab Singapore. A spokesperson publicly commented on Sarah’s video, apologizing for the experience and stating: “Feeling unsafe or uncomfortable is never okay. Please know that our driver team is already looking into this and taking action as we speak.”

The incident has also cast a spotlight back on the Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) strict regulations. LTA recently issued a stern reminder to all vocational licence holders that verbal insults, intimidation, or any form of harassment (including sexual harassment) against passengers is a serious offense that can cost them their livelihood.

The Kopi Kaki Verdict: Are We Too Polite?

The comment section on Sarah’s video quickly turned into a heated debate, and it brings up a very relatable dilemma for many commuters in Singapore.

On one hand, many netizens fiercely defended Sarah, calling out the driver’s behavior as predatory and completely unprofessional. “Incredibly uncomfortable to watch as a viewer,” one user wrote.

On the other hand, a large group of netizens pointed out a common trait among younger commuters: being too nice.

Several commenters urged female passengers to abandon pleasantries when boundaries are crossed:

“You’re too nice haha, next time bring headphones and don’t talk to anybody beyond saying hello uncle.” “Some girls are too nice… don’t be afraid to be rude when protecting yourself.”

It raises a valid point. In Singapore, we are conditioned to be polite to our elders and service providers. But when an uncle starts calling your dialect “sexy” and tracking your “demand,” politeness should probably go out the window.

☕ What do you think, Kaki?

Is this a case of an older driver trying to strike up “friendly” conversation but failing miserably due to a massive generational gap? Or is this outright, unacceptable harassment that warrants a permanent ban?

More importantly—if you found yourself trapped in a ride with a driver making you uncomfortable, would you speak up and risk a confrontation, or would you do what Sarah did and quietly record it for safety?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! 👇

Watch Sarah’s viral Tik Tok video here:

@sarxh.lim

I was otw to a Videoshoot for work. When I first got into the cab, I felt the convo started getting weirder and weirder so I immediately started recording incase he said anything out of line. ( I faced the camera towards me becos I didn’t want the uncle to know I was recording what he was saying ) At least I wud have evidence if I needed to make a report to back up my statement. – I mean naturally the first thing u wud do in a sit like that. Usually in awk situations I js laugh it off or smile, i shud have js put on my headphones atm. He was asking me quite a bit of personal question before I started filming – stuff like how I made his day ( said it several times ) I’m so interesting, and I just overall felt uneasy. At that time,I wasn’t too sure if what he said was counted as out of line or not, so I told my friends & parents abt it and they agreeed that smth was a bit off…. So I reported it alr. Maybe he was trying to be nice but it just came out wrong?? But yea I posted this vid as a reminder to be safe and wary,- I wanna spread awareness that this isn’t okay #sg

♬ original sound – Sarah Lim ⋆˙⟡ – Sarah Lim ⋆˙⟡

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