Singapore Chinese cab driver under investigation for abusing lady assuming her to be Indian
Singapore (PTI): A Singapore Chinese cab driver is under investigation for abusing a woman and her daughter during their ride over misinformation on the destination and assuming she was of Indian origin.
"He said, 'You are Indian, you are stupid'," 46-year-old Eurasian origin Janelle Hoeden said of the cab driver abuse on Saturday.
The woman was with her nine-year-old daughter on the ride, The Straits Times reported on Sunday.
Hoeden recorded on her phone the interaction which got progressively more heated.
She had booked a ride on the ride-hailing platform, TADA, at around 2 pm on Saturday.
Hoeden said the ride started uneventfully and she was talking to her child when suddenly the driver got upset that part of the road was blocked due to construction of an upcoming metro, MRT line, along the ride in Pasir Ris housing estate.
"He started shouting at me, saying that I gave him the wrong address and wrong directions," she said.
In the video -- uploaded on her Facebook page and an account by a TikTok user, and later shared by alternative news site Wake Up Singapore -- the driver, a Chinese man, is seen accusing Hoeden's daughter of being less than 1.35 metres tall.
He repeatedly said her daughter was under 1.35 metres, and Hoeden could be heard replying that the child was 1.37 metres. He then called the girl "very illegal".
It is believed the height is for the safety of passengers requiring child seats.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) states on its website that for safety reasons, all vehicles in Singapore must have booster seats or child restraints for passengers under 1.35 metres in height.
The driver shouted at the woman while driving, "You are India(n), I'm Chinese... You are the very worst kind..." Hoeden corrected the driver, saying: "I am Singapore Eurasian, not Indian." Eurasians are usually tanned and at times appear to be Indian in appearance.
"As he was verbally abusive, I was afraid that he would start getting physical with me, so I told her to record," the Singapore broadsheet quoted Hoeden as saying.
"Whether I was tanned skin, or Indian, or otherwise, it's unacceptable what he said - it was totally uncalled for, that he pulled out the race card," she said.
Her child was also shaken after the incident.
In comments on 'Wake Up Singapore's Instagram' post that highlighted the incident, Tada Singapore said it was investigating the incident.
"At Tada, we do not tolerate racism, discrimination, or abuse. Our team is investigating this issue. Thanks to everyone who brought this to our attention," the comment said.
The Straits Times also had a Tada spokeswoman saying that the firm was aware of the incident.
She said: "Remarks or comments that insinuate racial differences directly violate Tada community guidelines and are not representative of our company's values.
"We have initiated an internal investigation to fully understand the circumstances and will take all necessary actions based on our findings." She added that Tada does not condone racist comments or remarks under any circumstances, and it is committed to resolving the issue promptly and fairly.
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Bihar: Jeweller’s wife arrested for 'throwing acid' on 2 women in Madhepura
Madhepura (PTI): Police on Thursday arrested a woman for allegedly throwing acid on a mother-daughter duo during a dispute at a jewellery shop owned by her husband in Bihar’s Madhepura district, officials said.
The incident occurred around 11 am at Purani Bazar under the Madhepura Sadar police station area.
According to a statement issued by the district police, the victims had gone to the shop to collect jewellery for which they had reportedly paid an advance in 2022.
An altercation broke out when the shop owner, accompanied by his wife and daughters, allegedly asked them to return after six months to receive the jewellery.
During the argument, the accused allegedly sprinkled acid on the two women in a fit of rage, police said.
Both of them sustained minor injuries and are undergoing treatment, they said.
An FIR has been lodged based on a complaint by a family member of the victims.
In his complaint, he claimed that he had paid Rs 25,000 in 2022 to Vinod Kumar, the shop owner, with the understanding that jewellery would be provided at the then prevailing rate when his sister’s marriage is fixed.
With the wedding scheduled for March 26, his mother and sister had visited the shop on Wednesday and again on Thursday to collect the jewellery after being earlier asked to return the next day, according to the complaint.
However, when they demanded the jewellery on Thursday, the shop owner allegedly told them to come back after six months, it stated.
“The accused persons allegedly abused the women and, in a fit of rage, took out acid from the shop and sprinkled it on them, leaving both injured,” the police statement said.
The shop owner is absconding, and search is underway to trace him, police said.
