Milind Chandwani
Credit: Instagram/Milind Chandwani
A video posted by Milind Chandwani, the founder of Bengaluru-based startup Camp Diaries and an IIM graduate, has been garnering millions of views on Instagram as it shows how a late-night cab ride from the airport found himself driving the hired taxi instead.
In the video, which was posted on Instagram, Milind narrated the poignant story of how he had to be at the wheels in the wee hours of the morning after he found out that the cabbie, who was hired to pick him from the airport was desperate to catch a few winks of sleep. Milind added in his post that the cab driver readily accepted his offer without blinking an eye trusting him with the task.
“Last night at 3 AM while returning from Bengaluru airport, I found myself in an unexpected role: my cab driver’s driver. He was so sleepy, he even stopped for tea and a cigarette but still couldn’t keep his eyes open. So, I offered to drive, and to my surprise, he handed me the keys faster than I could say ‘Bengaluru.”
As Milind took to the wheels, he says in his post that the driver dozed off in the passenger seat leaving the 'passenger' to navigate through the city with the help of Google Maps.
"He immediately reclined his seat, passed out, and left me to navigate the city with Google Maps as my co-pilot. Five minutes before we reached, his boss called, and I overheard him asking for a day shift because he couldn’t handle the night shift anymore," his post read.
Milind also explained the mix of sentiments he experienced, saying he "felt a mix of emotions: glad that he trusted me, sad that he had to push himself so hard, and slightly amused at how quickly he decided I was qualified for the job. Gave him a ₹100 tip and asked for a 5-star rating in return—fair trade, right?”
The video, which garnered more than a million views since being posted online, also saw several reactions from users with some commending Milind's actions and others recounting similar experiences.
"Very kind of you, I hope his face isn’t recognised by his boss or the cab company, you never know how unforgiving some bosses can be," one wrote.