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Daily Mirror
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Chilling moment taxi driver threatens to 'break tourist's bones' on dark detour
During a shocking confrontation that was caught on camera, tourist Dustin was threatened by a taxi driver who warned him, "I have mafia connections, I will break your bones" This is the chilling moment a taxi driver threatened to "break" a YouTuber's bones following a fare dispute. Dustin, from the US, had just arrived in Kolkata, India, to explore the city when he was threatened and scammed by a taxi driver. During the shocking nine-minute video, Dustin had agreed on a set fee with the driver and asked him to take him to the Hotel Great Western in Park Street. However, on arrival, it emerged he had been driven nearly ten miles away in the opposite direction towards a different hotel named The Western in Rajarhat. In the viral clip, Dustin tells the drive: "I showed you the hotel first, we agreed to this, and then you took me to the wrong hotel." Dustin had agreed to a £6 taxi fee with the driver but, after being taken to the wrong destination, he refused to pay the total. The driver bizarrely acknowledged he had taken him to the wrong hotel, but upped the price. "Okay, sir, it will be Rs 900 (£10) to Park Street now." The incident took a frightening turn after another driver in a red shirt joined the taxi and sat next to the driver, appearing to try and solve the dispute. However, he made things worse and threatened Dustin. "I will take him to a lonely place and I will break his bones. I have mafia connection, I will break your bone." The pair arranged to get another taxi for Dustin but insisted he paid an additional fee for "parking and petrol" - despite being driven to the wrong hotel. The journey, which should have taken 50 minutes, was extended to 1 hour and 20 minutes. "I should've been at the hotel by now, but I'll probably be in this taxi for another 30 minutes", he told his channel. Despite the threatening taxi driver, Dustin was determined that it would not spoil his view of India. "I've had a great time in India so far. "This won't make me hate the country, it's just something you deal with in taxis and airports in many places", he added. It comes after a British tourist who was walking with his wife has been killed after a driver in a rental car lost control and pinned the couple against a wall. Harish Solanki, 86, was struck while holidaying in the town of Candolim in Goa, India, along with his 81-year-old wife Chandrakanta. The pair were both rushed to hospital with critical injuries. Mr Solanki was later pronounced dead and his wife remains in hospital. The pair had just left their hotel compound shortly after 10am last Friday and were walking along the main road when the car veered towards them and crushed them with the force of the vehicle. Police say the car was a rental and was being driven at speed when the driver lost control of the car.
Indian Express
28-05-2025
- Indian Express
‘I'll drag you to a lonely place, break bones…': Kolkata taxi driver harasses US vlogger, tries to scam him
What was meant to be the beginning of an exciting journey in India turned into an unsettling experience for Dustin, a travel vlogger from the United States. On his first day in Kolkata, shortly after landing in the city, Dustin found himself harassed and scammed by a local taxi driver and his alleged accomplice. The incident was recorded and later shared on his YouTube channel in a video titled 'Taxi Driver in Kolkata Tried to Cheat and Threaten Me.' Upon his arrival at the airport, Dustin booked a local taxi instead of booking an Uber. He informed the driver clearly that he wanted to go to the Hotel Great Western on Park Street. However, instead of heading to his destination, the driver drove him nearly 15 kilometers in the wrong direction, towards a different hotel named The Western in Rajarhat. In the video, Dustin is seen confronting the driver. 'I showed you the hotel first, we agreed to this, and then you took me to the wrong hotel,' he says. Initially, the driver demanded Rs 700 for the ride. But when he refused to pay after being dropped at the incorrect hotel, the driver increased the fare instead of apologising, demanding Rs 900 to take him to his hotel in Park Street. 'Okay, sir, it will be Rs 900 to Park Street now,' the driver said. However, Dustin stood his ground and insisted he would only pay the agreed amount of Rs 700. As the argument escalated, another man, identified by his red shirt, entered the vehicle and sat beside the first driver. He initially appeared to mediate the situation, but soon escalated the encounter with a disturbing threat. 'I have connections with the mafia, I'll drag him to a lonely place and break his bones,' the man in red was heard saying in Bengali. Watch the video here: Eventually, the two men convinced Dustin to switch to another taxi headed toward his actual destination. However, before letting him go, the second man demanded an additional Rs 100 for 'parking and petrol,' bringing the total amount Dustin was forced to pay to Rs 800. In Bengali, he was also overheard telling the new driver that he would receive only Rs 400. 'I should've been at the hotel by now, but I'll probably be in this taxi for an hour and 30 minutes,' Dustin says in the video. In the video's caption, Dustin warned others to avoid similar situations. '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,' he wrote. He also noted that Uber quoted between Rs 500 and Rs 600 for the same trip. 'I agreed to Rs 700 for convenience, but this is just too much,' he wrote, mentioning that he was unexpectedly charged a Rs 150 parking fee just five minutes into the ride. 'I've had a great time in India so far. This won't make me hate the country, it's just something you deal with in taxis and airports in many places,' he said towards the end of the video.
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'Will break his bones': Kolkata taxi driver harasses and scams American YouTuber
NEW DELHI: A tourist's first day in the city of joy, Kolkata, turned out to be a nightmare when he came across a taxi driver. Meet Dustin, a YouTuber who was in Kolkata to explore the city, met with a taxi driver shortly after he arrived , who scammed and harassed him. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The entire episode was shared on Dustin's YouTube channel in a nine-minute video titled "Taxi Driver in Kolkata Tried to Cheat and Threaten Me." Taxi Driver Tried to Scam and Threaten Me in Kolkata 🇮🇳 While he was on his way to his hotel, after he arrived in the city, the taxi driver took him 15 km in the opposite direction, towards a different hotel named The Western in Rajarhat, despite the fact that Dustin clearly informed the cab driver he wanted to go to the Hotel Great Western in Park Street. "I showed you the hotel first, we agreed to this, and then you took me to the wrong hotel," Dustin told the driver in the now-viral video. The cabbie initially agreed for Rs 700 for the journey. Upon Dustin's refusal to pay for the incorrect destination, the driver acknowledged his error but strangely raised the fare, stating, "Okay, sir, it will be Rs 900 to Park Street now." Mr Dustin remained firm on paying only the initially agreed Rs 700. The situation intensified when another driver in a red shirt joined and positioned himself next to the first driver, attempting to resolve the dispute, but the situation deteriorated. On camera, the red-shirt man caught giving threats and saying, "I will take him to a lonely place and I will break his bone. I have mafia connection, I will break your bone." Upon hearing Dustin's explanation, the red-shirted individual demanded Rs 1000 and spoke to the driver in Bengali, saying, "I have connections with the mafia, I'll drag him to a lonely place and break his bones." Tired of too many ads? go ad free now They subsequently arranged another taxi for Dustin to board. However, the man in red insisted on an additional Rs 100 for "parking and petrol", raising the total to Rs 800. He was recorded speaking in Bengali, telling the new driver he would receive Rs 400 whilst retaining the remainder. A journey that should have taken 50 minutes extended to 1 hour 20 minutes. "I should've been at the hotel by now, but I'll probably be in this taxi for an hour and 30 minutes," Dustin informed his audience during the journey. Meet Dustin assured that these incidents wouldn't affect his view of India. "I've had a great time in India so far. This won't make me hate the country, it's just something you deal with in taxis and airports in many places," he expressed.
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Time of India
'I'll break his bones': Kolkata taxi driver threatens foreign vlogger; netizens demand immediate action
A tour to Kolkata turned into a nightmare for a foreign content creator who visited to explore India. It was the foreigner's first day in Kolkata when he was scammed and harassed by a taxi driver and his accomplice shortly after landing in the city of joy. The content creator shared the video on his social media, which is now circulating on the internet. The travel content creator who recorded the ordeal on camera is identified as Meet Dustin. In the viral video, the traveller was seen being threatened by the cab driver, who also claimed to have ties with the 'mafia'. A 9-minute clip of the incident is currently available on Dustin's YouTube channel, titled "Taxi Driver in Kolkata Tried to Cheat and Threaten Me." Kolkata cab driver threatens foreign content creator Dustin, who landed in the City of Joy and was on his way to the Hotel Great Western in Park Street, thought it better to travel through a local taxi than to book a cab through Uber. He revealed that he had clearly informed the cab driver that he wanted to go to the Hotel Great Western in Park Street, but the taxi driver took him 15km in the opposite direction, towards a different hotel named The Western in Rajarhat. View this post on Instagram This place is quite far from his actual destination. Additionally, Dustin told the cab driver in a viral video that he showed him the hotel first, and they agreed to go there, but he then took him to the wrong hotel. Cab driver charged extra money for the trip The episode went on when the driver initially asked for Rs 700 for the trip, but Dustin refused to pay for the wrong drop location, and the driver admitted his mistake but bizarrely increased the fare, saying, "Okay, sir, it will be Rs 900 to Park Street now." This is when Dustin stood his ground and said he would only pay the originally agreed Rs 700. However, the argument escalated when another driver wearing a red shirt entered the scene and sat beside the original driver. Noticing another man in the cab left Dustin confused, and he asked the man in red for Rs 1000 and said in Bengali to the driver, "I have connections with the mafia, I'll drag him to a lonely place and break his bones." It looked like a blatant threat that was caught on camera. Netizens react to the viral video The content creator shared the video on his YouTube channel, and it quickly grabbed the attention of netizens there. One said, "Someone report this case to Kolkata police.. it's a shame for us, treating tourists like this. 😢" "Those who are saying he should have taken the bus, metro, uber, etc etc, tell me a thing how a damn foreigner is 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 that these sort of things keep on happening?," another wrote. "As a Bengali, West Bengal is a lost case and nothing can be repaired. Be it politics, job situation or basic civic sense 😢." "Dear Dustin, so sorry for this horrible experience you had to go through!! The man was a moron for verbally abusing you!! Hopefully you will have a wonderful time in kolkata. Stay safe" "During my travels in India, I found most people to be very kind and humble. It's important to treat everyone with respect, no matter where they're from," one wrote.
NDTV
27-05-2025
- NDTV
"Will Break His Bones...": Kolkata Man Tries To Scam Tourist, Threatens Him
A foreigner's first day in Kolkata turned into a nightmare. He was scammed and harassed by a taxi driver and his accomplice shortly after landing in the city. Meet Dustin, a travel content creator exploring India, who recorded the ordeal on camera, showing how he was threatened by the cab driver claiming to have ties with the "mafia." The entire episode was shared on Dustin's YouTube channel in a nine-minute video titled "Taxi Driver in Kolkata Tried to Cheat and Threaten Me." Mr Dustin touched down in Kolkata and was on his way to the Hotel Great Western in Park Street. Instead of booking a cab through Uber, he went for a local taxi. He clearly informed the cab driver he wanted to go to the Hotel Great Western in Park Street. The taxi driver, however, took him 15 km in the opposite direction, towards a different hotel named The Western in Rajarhat, far from his actual destination. "I showed you the hotel first, we agreed to this, and then you took me to the wrong hotel," Mr Dustin told the driver in the now-viral video. The driver initially asked for Rs 700 for the trip. When Mr Dustin refused to pay for the wrong drop location, the cabbie admitted his mistake but bizarrely increased the fare, saying, "Okay, sir, it will be Rs 900 to Park Street now." Mr Dustin stood his ground and said he would only pay the originally agreed Rs 700. As the argument escalated, another driver wearing a red shirt entered the scene and sat beside the original driver. He tried to mediate, but things soon took a turn. When Mr Dustin explained the confusion, the man in red asked for Rs 1000 and said in Bengali to the driver, "I have connections with the mafia, I'll drag him to a lonely place and break his bones." This blatant threat was caught on camera. The two then convinced Mr Dustin to switch to another cab headed to Park Street. But before letting him go, the man in red demanded an extra Rs 100 for "parking and petrol," bringing the total demanded to Rs 800. In Bengali, he was also heard instructing the new cabbie that he would be paid Rs 400 while keeping the rest for himself. What should have been a 50-minute ride turned into a 1-hour 20-minute horror. "I should've been at the hotel by now, but I'll probably be in this taxi for an hour and 30 minutes," Mr Dustin shared with his viewers during the ride. "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," he wrote in his caption. He also highlighted that Uber charges for the same route ranged between Rs 500 to Rs 600. "I agreed to Rs 700 for convenience, but this is just too much," he said, adding that he was initially told there would be a parking fee of Rs 150 just five minutes into the journey, something not disclosed beforehand. Despite the series of misadventures, Meet Dustin clarified that these experiences won't spoil his opinion of India. "I've had a great time in India so far. This won't make me hate the country, it's just something you deal with in taxis and airports in many places," he said.
