Kolkata taxi driver threatens US tourist with ‘mafia link' over fare dispute
A US tourist's trip to Kolkata, the City of Joy, turned 'ridiculous' after a dispute over fares with a local taxi driver - who threatened him with 'mafia connections'. The man recorded the entire incident and shared it on YouTube, where the video has since gone viral.
'From this point forward, I will never use random taxi drivers from the airport – always Uber. I didn't plan to make any videos from the airport as I was already tired from travelling. However, when the taxi driver brought me to the wrong hotel after I showed him the correct address and location on the map, I started filming,' wrote Dustin.
'At the time, I didn't understand what he was saying and had my friend translate – he said it was pretty messed up. We had agreed to ₹ 700 beforehand, including the parking ticket, and as you can see in the video, the prices kept changing. Regardless, I've had a good time in India so far and this situation doesn't really change anything,' he continued.
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Viewer Discretion Advised: This video contains explicit language and strong content.
'Someone should report this case to Kolkata Police. It's a shame for us, treating tourists like this,' posted one user. Another added, 'I have reported this to Kolkata Police with the video link and requested prompt action against such hooliganism.'
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A third commented, 'Those who are saying he should have taken the bus, metro, Uber, etc. – tell me, how is a foreigner supposed to know what to take and what not to? Instead of criticising him, could we not just talk about the law and order situation in this state where these things keep happening?' A fourth wrote, 'I'm Bengali, and I can understand what that guy is saying. He's extremely rude and cursing! I'm really sorry you had to experience this. Please know that not all people are like that, and I hope you enjoyed the rest of your stay in Kolkata. Once again, I'm truly sorry.'
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