In the early hours of September 2, a 52-year-old man named Chew found himself in a life-threatening situation. He was experiencing symptoms of a heart attack and decided to book a Gojek ride to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.
However, what should have been a straightforward journey turned into a harrowing ordeal as the driver insisted on taking him to the wrong drop-off point that Chew had mistakenly booked.
Heart attack
Chew had previously survived a heart attack, so when he felt the familiar chest pain and difficulty breathing at 3 am on that day, he knew he had to act swiftly. With trembling hands, he reached for his phone and booked a Gojek ride from his home in Bukit Panjang to Ng Teng Fong Hospital.
As Chew anxiously waited for his ride, he didn’t realize that he had accidentally booked the wrong location on the Gojek app – Tower A instead of Tower B, where the hospital’s A&E department was located. The trouble began when the driver arrived, and Chew tried to correct the course.
Chew explained to the driver, in urgent tones, that he needed to go to Tower B, where the A&E department was situated. However, the driver, seemingly fixated on the app’s instructions, continued driving towards Tower A.
What followed was a heated exchange between the two, with Chew pleading for his life and the driver insisting that Chew had set Tower A as the drop-off point.
Walked over to A&E on foot
To make matters worse, when Chew was finally dropped off at Tower A, he found himself in darkness. The area was deserted, and panic set in as he realized the severity of his situation. The driver’s refusal to adjust the route, despite Chew’s desperate pleas, left him feeling abandoned and vulnerable.
Chew, however, wasn’t ready to give up. Despite the pain and fear, he summoned every ounce of strength left in him and decided to make the journey to Tower B on foot. He knew that his life depended on reaching the A&E department in time for treatment.
Throughout his agonizing journey, Chew couldn’t help but wonder why the driver lacked the empathy to change his route for a passenger in clear distress. He questioned the driver’s decision not to make a simple U-turn that could have saved precious minutes.
In a surprising turn of events, after undergoing angioplasty and receiving medical leave, Chew still tipped the driver the fare of S$18 via the app.
He was under the impression that he had not paid for the trip, but later learned that the payment had already been processed through his linked PayLah account. Despite his disappointment, Chew chose not to owe the driver anything.
Resolution and Lessons
Gojek, in response to the incident, expressed regret over Chew’s condition and pledged to resolve the matter. They said that they were sorry about the incident and wished Chew a smooth recovery.
They also issued a statement advising users to call relevant authorities in cases of life-threatening illnesses or emergencies.