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Tag: incident

  • Passenger Ejected from Bangkok Taxi Over $6 Flat Fare Dispute: What Happened Next?

    Passenger Ejected from Bangkok Taxi Over $6 Flat Fare Dispute: What Happened Next?

    In the bustling streets of Bangkok, a typical taxi ride turned into a drama that has now gone viral. A passenger found himself on the wrong side of a fare dispute when a taxi driver demanded a flat rate of BHT200 (approximately US$6.08), bypassing the meter altogether. This unusual encounter escalated quickly, prompting the passenger to call the police after he was unceremoniously kicked out of the vehicle.

    Posting the shocking incident on TikTok under the username @auppatam1 on May 29, the passenger recounted how the ride began with the meter running, but things took a turn when he refused to pay the inflated flat fare. When he asked to see the driver’s license or public transport ID, the driver denied having any such documentation, revealing instead that the vehicle’s registration had expired. The situation intensified as the passenger took a picture of the taxi’s license plate for evidence, which sparked an aggressive response from the driver. Ultimately, feeling unsafe, the passenger reached out to the police for assistance.

    The video quickly garnered attention and criticism on social media, with many users expressing their frustration over the lack of enforcement against fare violations. This incident has only amplified the concerns of locals and visitors alike, further solidifying a growing trend of avoidance when it comes to hailing taxis in Bangkok, a city where navigating transport can sometimes feel more taxing than the fares themselves.

    This saga raises questions about ride-hailing norms in the city and whether authorities will take action. After all, it’s hard to ignore that one bad ride can leave a lasting impression, much like a rogue tourist in a crowded market!

    Questions & Answers

    What triggered the police involvement in this taxi dispute?
    The passenger called the police after the driver demanded a flat fare instead of using the meter and forcibly removed him from the taxi.

    How did the situation escalate after the passenger exited the taxi?
    After photographing the taxi’s license plate, the passenger faced aggressive behavior from the driver, prompting him to seek police intervention.

    What has been the public reaction to this incident?
    The video of the dispute has sparked widespread criticism on social media, as many users expressed frustration over frequent fare issues, which deter them from using taxis in Bangkok.

  • Starbucks faces backlash in China over police incident at store

    Starbucks faces backlash in China over police incident at store

    Starbucks is battling its second bout of public fury in China in less than three months, after an incident described by the US coffee giant as a “misunderstanding” at one of its stores sparked criticism from online users and state media.

    The company came under scrutiny on Monday after a user on Weibo said that a number of police officers had been eating outside a Starbucks store in the southwestern city of Chongqing before they were told by staff to move away.

    The user’s description of the incident quickly went viral on the Twitter-like platform, prompting the ruling Communist party’s mouthpiece People’s Daily newspaper to issue a commentary, in which it called Starbucks “arrogant”.

    Chinese consumers and media have become more aggressive about protecting customer rights and monitoring the behavior of big brands, especially from overseas.

    In December, Starbucks apologised and carried out inspections and staff training across all its roughly 5,400 stores in China after a state-backed newspaper said two of its outlets used expired ingredients.

    Starbucks apologized on its Weibo account late on Monday for “inappropriate communications,” saying the whole thing was a misunderstanding.

    But it said staff had never chased away policemen or tried to file complaints against them.

    It continued to face criticism online on Tuesday, with a few small companies announcing on Douyin, the Chinese equivalent of TikTok, that they would “boycott” Starbucks by forbidding employees from arranging meetings in or buying drinks from the shops of the coffee chain.

    However, Hu Xijin, a prolific commentator in China who is the former editor-in-chief of the Global Times newspaper, urged his Weibo users to see the Starbucks Chongqing incident as an accident and not more, adding that Starbucks’s status as a foreign brand should not subject it to more criticism.

    “China is a country that is open to the world,” he said. “To label a mistake as arrogance is not conducive to the bigger environment of opening-up.”

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  • Sexual Harassment Claims Against Ted Baker’s Founder investigated

    Sexual Harassment Claims Against Ted Baker’s Founder investigated

    UK fashion retailer Ted Baker has appointed an independent committee of non-executive directors to investigate workplace harassment claims that current chief executive and founder Ray Kelvin expected staff to hug him and sit on his lap when visiting stores.

    “Ray, and the company’s leadership, have always prided themselves on Ted Baker being a great employer and business to work with,” the company said in a response to media reports about the claims and a petition started by staff members to stop the behaviour.

    “Accordingly, they and the board take these concerns very seriously and the board has directed a thorough and urgent independent external investigation carried out into these matters.”

    Organise, a website that allows employees to speak out against what they see in the workplace, and where Ted Baker staff initially spoke out about the workplace harassment, was contacted by leadership at the retailer who said they’re “open to changing the way we do things” when it comes to hugs.

    “Together our pressure exposed what was happening at the highest level. Now, over 100 anonymised reports of harassment are sat with Ted Baker’s board,” Organise said in a blog post about the matter.

    In an interview, Kelvin explained that he hugs people because his psoriatic arthritis makes it painful to shake hands, and took offence when it was suggested that people would be uncomfortable doing so.

    “You can’t expect my life to change because today people are particular about certain things that we grew up quite naturally with,” Kelvin explained, calling it “good old-fashioned stuff.”

    “Plenty of people might have sat on Ted Baker’s knee.”

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