Viral video: ‘Rapido driver’ approaches woman at night to offer ride; Instagram user shares, ‘What honestly shocked me…’

A woman named Siddhi has shared a warning on Instagram. The incident happened near Charminar in Hyderabad on 9 August. The video has gone viral, garnering nearly 5 million views so far.

She was waiting for her auto around 9 PM that evening. A man on a bike approached her. He asked where she was going and offered a Rapido ride.

Upon hearing this, Siddhi immediately started recording him. She noticed that his vehicle displayed no registration number.

“Why don’t you have a vehicle number?” she asked.

The man claimed to be a Rapido driver. Then, she asked for his official Rapido driver ID. Instead, he started downloading the Rapido app himself. This confirmed her suspicion that something was clearly wrong.

She explained she trusts the app, especially during nighttime travel. She appreciates its safety checks and post-ride calls.

“Just to clarify, I personally never take Rapido bikes. I always book Rapido autos or cabs. I have been using Rapido regularly, and I genuinely trust the app,” she said.

“I actually prefer Rapido over other apps because I feel safer using it, especially at night. The safety checks and calls they make after a ride are something I really appreciate,” she added.

The Instagram user expressed shock at the man’s confidence in approaching her unprompted.

“What honestly shocked me was the confidence with which he approached a woman at 9 PM and offered her a ride without any prior booking or verification,” she wrote.

According to Siddhi, her post aims to raise awareness, not fear. She urged women to always verify drivers through official apps. She warned against entering vehicles from unverified, random approaches.

Siddhi specifically clarified she wasn't blaming Rapido as a company. She reiterated her genuine trust in the platform's service.

“I especially want to clarify that I am not blaming Rapido or saying this happened because of your company. In fact, I genuinely trust your service and have always felt safer using Rapido,” she commented.

“I’m sharing this because this person used the Rapido name to gain my trust, even though he wasn’t actually a Rapido driver. I just want to bring this to your attention so that you’re aware of it and can look into the matter from your end,” she added.

Her goal, she said, was to prevent similar incidents elsewhere.

Rapido reacts

As the post went viral, Rapido itself commented. It was appreciated that Siddhi had trusted her instincts before getting on the bike.

“At Rapido, every ride has multiple safety checks in place; customers can verify the captain and ride details directly on the app, and the OTP shared at the start of the ride ensures the ride is being taken with the right captain and vehicle. Our captains also have to abide by strict safety guidelines and policies,” it wrote.

“We always encourage customers to verify these details before getting in, especially if someone approaches them claiming to be a Rapido captain without a booking. Stay safe!” it added.