Scammed by cabby, US vlogger posts harass video on YouTube
Kolkata: An American travel content creator was allegedly scammed and threatened by a taxi driver and his accomplice, a tout, shortly after arriving at Kolkata airport. The YouTuber captured the incident on video, which has since gone viral on social media after being posted about nine days ago.
Kolkata Traffic Police, tagged in the video by multiple Kolkatans who lodged individual complaints, stated they are reviewing the content of the video and confirmed a preliminary probe was started. Bidhannagar cops also may be involved, given that most of the incident took place near a Rajarhat hotel.
Dustin, a US-born, Asia-based YouTuber with 22,000 subscribers, runs a YouTube channel where he shares his experiences exploring the culture, food, people, and hidden corners of multiple countries.
The incident occurred when he chose a local taxi over a ride-hailing service for his journey to a hotel on Park Street. Instead of taking him to his destination, the driver and an accomplice reportedly drove 15 km in the opposite direction to a similarly named hotel in Rajarhat.
When confronted, the situation escalated into threats and demands for additional payment.
"I showed you the hotel first, we agreed to this, and then you took me to the wrong hotel," Dustin can be heard saying in the video.
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The initial fare of Rs 700 was increased to Rs 900 for dropping Dustin to Park Street. The accomplice, wearing a red shirt, was recorded speaking in Bengali, threatening violence against the tourist. According to translations, he said, "I have connections with the mafia, I'll drag him to a lonely place and break his bones.
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The perpetrators eventually settled for Rs 800, claiming Rs 150 for "parking and petrol". The journey, which typically takes under an hour, lasted 100 minutes.
Despite the ordeal, Dustin kept a positive outlook. "This won't ruin India for me... but I'll never take a random taxi again," he said in the video.
In a subsequent clarification on his YouTube channel four days ago, Dustin emphasised that the incident was isolated and not representative of his broader experience in Kolkata. "I had an amazing time in Kolkata and I met incredible people there, super friendly, only complaint is Kolkata has tooooo many sweets :D This taxi driver incident was a one-time incident and it didn't change anything for me and how I feel about India, Kolkata or anyone else," he wrote.
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