On 6 November 2023, a troubling incident gained widespread attention through a viral Twitter thread. @M3gumiii, the author of the thread, recounted the ordeal of her female friend, that assaulted by the driver of an online motorcycle taxi in Bali. Initially, the driver attempted to engage the passenger in conversation, but she couldn’t hear his words. Moments later, as the passenger gestured to indicate the route, the driver shouted at her, expressing disrespect for her directions.
GUYS PLEASE HELP RETWEET‼️‼️
TEMENKU CEWE DIGEBUKIN SAMA DRIVER GOJEK @gojekindonesia 😭😭
lokasi di Dalung, Bali. pic.twitter.com/xGt3hUPNMf
— megumi ^_−☆ (@m3gumiii) November 6, 2023
The situation escalated when the driver abruptly ordered the passenger to disembark in the middle of the road, using harsh language and criticizing her for being arrogant and unresponsive during their interaction.
The female passenger found herself in confusion when the driver abruptly left her stranded in the middle of the road. Shortly after, the driver’s anger boiled over, leading to aggressive shouting and threats of violence.
When the woman attempted to settle the fare, the situation escalated further. The driver grew increasingly agitated, launching a blind punch at the passenger’s head. The male driver relentlessly beat the victim around the eyes, temples, and body.
The aggression didn’t end there; the driver inquired about the passenger’s origins and pointed out her tattoo. He declared his lack of fear toward newcomers or individuals with tattoos, like the passenger. It didn’t stop there; the driver also asked about the origin and also mentioned the tattoo that the female passenger had. The driver said that he was not afraid of newcomers or people with tattoos like the passenger.
Overwhelmed by fear, the female passenger hastily fled from the driver and received assistance from nearby residents. She promptly reached out to a friend for a pickup and filed a report with the Badung police in North Kuta after undergoing a medical examination at the hospital.
The assailant, identified by the initials AHS and aged 25, has since been apprehended at the North Kuta police station. During police interrogation, he acknowledged that his abusive actions were driven by offense and a momentary emotional outburst, as the victim had not responded when he spoke.
This Twitter thread quickly went viral, garnered the attention of over 1.2 million readers, and received numerous retweets, likes, and comments. Among the comments, a prevalent conversation emerged, highlighting the prevalent issue of online motorcycle taxi drivers displaying rudeness towards passengers and frequently causing disruptions.
Interested in this topic? Check out our other articles from Social Expat!
