A taxi driver in China has been detained for dragging a 19-year-old woman passenger out of his car and dumping her on an expressway following a fierce argument.
The incident went viral on mainland social media after the unidentified woman shared her experience online, the Yangcheng Evening News reported.
“Get out of my car!” the driver was heard to shout in the video clip while dragging the woman out of the vehicle while she screamed: “But this is an expressway.”
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The situation unfolded on December 30 when the passenger ordered a taxi to take her from Ji county in Tianjin, northern China, to Tianjin Binhai International Airport.
She asked the driver to pick her up at 10:30am.
However, when the 43-year-old driver, surnamed Li, arrived and called her several times, she told him to wait, saying she was not worried about being late for her flight and she could change her ticket, according to a record of their conversation.
After the woman got into the car 20 minutes later, Li told her he needed to pick up another passenger and could compensate her by reducing the taxi fare by 15 yuan (US$2). Li agreed with him.
Before the other passenger was picked up, they began to quarrel over the driver’s need to change the route they were on.
He said he needed to get off the highway to collect some items from a relative and it would take only a couple of minutes before returning to the expressway.
The woman opposed the idea, arguing that it would delay her arrival time at the airport.
Li, already angry with the passenger who was late in getting into the car in first place, abused her verbally then decided not to serve her any longer.
The woman claimed her ankles were injured when she was pulled out of the car by Li. She left the expressway by hitchhiking.
She lodged a complaint with the taxi firm, Dida, which banned Li’s account permanently.
She also called the police, leading to the administrative detention of Li on charge of violating public security management rules.
Li admitted to the police that he became too emotional when quarreling with the passenger because he was anxious to fetch the items from his relative.
The story, which has been viewed 85 million times on one social media platform alone, sparked a widespread debate online.
The woman said she had faced online harrassment from many internet users who sympathised with the driver.
However, others criticised Li.
“Whatever the circumstances, he should not leave the passenger on the highway. It is too dangerous,” said one online observer.
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