Grab's "Rolls Royce" Drivers? Passengers Outraged by Bizarre 'No Adjustment' Rules

A recent post on r/Singapore has stirred up a familiar wave of frustration among Grab passengers, highlighting the often-strained relationship between riders and some drivers on the platform. The original poster, hkgnp, shared a peculiar experience where a Grab driver, in a 6-seater vehicle, informed them that adjusting the seat or air conditioning would incur a "premium" charge, directing them to a message allegedly from Grab. This immediately raised eyebrows, leading to a vibrant discussion questioning whether this was a genuine Grab policy or a driver-specific dictate.

It quickly became clear that this was not a new directive from Grab, but rather a perplexing case of a driver imposing their own rules. User requirem-40, analyzing the language, immediately suspected the message's origin:

From the language and format, seems like it was written by the driver... the language style matches that of a driver undergoing a mid-life crisis and thinks that their 6-seater is a Rolls Royce or Bentley.

This sentiment was widely shared, with many branding such drivers as having a "MY CAR MY RULES" mentality. Difficult_Bicycle534 captured this succinctly:

Yup. Sounds like one of those “MY CAR MY RULES” drivers.

The discussion swiftly expanded beyond the initial aircon and seat adjustment issue, touching upon other common frustrations with Grab drivers. A recurring theme was the "cancel chicken" game, where drivers attempt to force passengers into canceling rides, often after accepting a fare they deem unprofitable or too far.

Forward_Stress2622 shared their exasperation:

My favorite is Grab drivers who screw up before pickup and then try to gaslight YOU into canceling the ride because somehow, it is "physically impossible" to cancel on their end.

User whatisdeletrazdoing recounted a dramatic "cancel chicken" saga in New York, where a driver drove "from central Manhattan across the Brooklyn Bridge" before finally caving. A similar experience in Singapore was shared by DescriptionFancy1712, whose driver drove off in the opposite direction after realizing the passenger was approaching, eventually heading "up PIE" before the passenger wisely hailed another cab. hellopandant also stood their ground, telling a driver who tried to make them cancel:

I'm just going to get a cab through ComfortDelgro, the Grab app can be idle on my phone, no issue. Want to play games, I can play.

The community generally agreed that passengers should never cancel in such situations, as it often incurs a cancellation fee for the passenger and no penalty for the driver. Instead, the consensus was to let the driver cancel or, even better, take the ride and leave a 1-star rating.

Xanthon, a Top 1% Commenter, firmly advised:

Take the ride and give 1 star. The star hurts more than cancellation.

vantroz explained why:

Low rating means less incentive and bonus, meaning less money for driver. Reporting to grab is usually just a slap on the wrist.

Other users, like kazeboy and madge28, confirmed that drivers need to maintain ratings of 4.5 or higher for better incentives, making low ratings a significant hit.

The perceived arrogance of some drivers, particularly those with larger vehicles accepting standard fares, was a hot topic. Ok_Scar4491 mused:

Bitter driver got 0 booking for premium fares so he reluctantly accepts a booking for regular fare. Need to feed his ego because his ride is PREMIUM, not the regular ones but PREMIUM. He’s those type that will tell you he’s not a Grab driver, but a limo driver.

Many commenters likened such behavior to "greedy scummy landlords" who arbitrarily impose rules. delta_p_delta_x eloquently contrasted this with actual luxury services:

Even at the real Ritz-Carlton, you're actually mostly free to do whatever you want within the room, as long as nothing breaks... These Grab drivers and landlords are just power-hungry wankers. Nothing to do with luxury or not. I drive a nice car, and I've done GrabHitch... I tell my passengers to adjust their seats and aircon as they see fit. It's just basic compassion and humanity.

The discussion also touched on practicalities like insurance coverage for passenger limits and the implications of drivers locking doors – which could escalate to charges of "illegal confinement," as Prinny10101 pointed out. The existence of Grab's opt-in "Audioprotect" feature, which records in-car audio to resolve disputes, was also brought up as a tool for passengers.

In essence, the Reddit thread highlighted the ongoing tension in the ride-hailing space, where passenger rights and expectations for a basic, comfortable service often clash with drivers' frustrations, perceived entitlement, or attempts to game the system. The overwhelming message from the community is clear: passengers are paying customers, and such arbitrary rules and strong-arm tactics should be met with firm refusal, 1-star ratings, and reports to Grab.