Uber Driver 'Gutkha Free' Badge? Mumbai man's post on civic sense sparks online debate

A social media user raised concerns regarding the civic sense of taxi drivers and the safety of passengers and gave them feedback. In a detailed post on LinkedIn, Sidhant Bakshi, who describes himself as an associate creative director, shared that the complaint isn’t about skyrocketing prices or poor service, but basic “civic sense.”

In his post, he took a dig at Uber and said, “This is not a complaint about your massive price hike, the quality of the cars you send or even your interface. Rather, it’s a relevant issue that exists purely in India – Drivers lacking basic civic sense and respect for sanitation in the city.”

He claimed to have had several encounters with drivers spitting tobacco (gutka) while waiting at traffic lights in Mumbai.

“As a resident of Mumbai, I can confidently say that ‘9 out of 10’ drivers I’ve traveled with (we did a mental count) literally stop at every second or third traffic light to spit out that gorgeous crimson colored Gutkha,” he wrote.

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‘Disgusting and just disgusting’

Describing the behavior as “pretty disgusting and downright disgusting,” Bakshi said he asked drivers not to spit while driving, but often received dismissive or confused responses.

“I’ve often asked drivers not to do this, and I usually get this look of disdain or a confused look that says, ‘You okay, bro? That’s normal.’ Apparently spitting gutkha in the middle of a crowded city has become so normalized that even questioning it makes you weird,” he added.

Bakshi then stated that he avoids giving honest feedback about possible confrontation or retaliation.

“This brings up another issue – safety. To avoid any fights, hostility or the possibility of the driver taking offense and turning on me later, I often end up avoiding honest assessment or feedback,” he wrote.

He said passengers may be concerned because ride-hailing apps contain information such as contact information, trip history and, in some cases, addresses.

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“The app contains our contact information, travel history and in many cases our verbatim addresses. This increases the possibility of retaliation,” Bakshi said.

Bakshi acknowledged that different travelers may face different levels of vulnerability when traveling alone, especially women.

“Look, I really understand the privilege I come from. I’m male, I’m a customer, and I have relatively fewer vulnerabilities in these situations. Compared to the greater risk women face when traveling alone, these concerns may not seem too serious to be explored,” he wrote.

Bakshi calls for stronger controls

However, he argued that this should not mean disregarding passenger comfort and basic civic behavior.

“But that shouldn’t mean that aspects like basic civic behavior and passenger comfort are being ignored. I really feel there is a need for stricter vetting, clearer behavioral expectations and some accountability for basic civic and city rules,” Bakshi said.

He also mentioned traffic violations, saying that he would address these concerns separately.

“Please understand that Uber’s reputation doesn’t just depend on its app, price or technology. It depends very much on the quality and behavior of the drivers who represent the brand every day,” he added.

People reacted like this:

The post drew a flurry of reactions that divided users in the comments section, with several defending the ride-hailing app and saying it’s not Uber’s responsibility to teach civics, while others suggested ways it could help drivers learn basic hygiene practices.

One user wrote: “You know what kind of drivers drive for Uber (and other apps at the same time) right? Uber doesn’t own them. If Uber bans drivers or keeps the ‘civic sense filter’ it will end up with less supply and drivers will go to competing apps.

None of this solves the problem, btw. You just tag a different company in another post and say the same thing. Civic sense is ultimately a national problem.

That being said, some (unfortunately higher priced) options like Premier/Black are based on rider experience and Uber ensures and vets the behavior of drivers or vehicles with more care.

The second part is the general state of India. You can find all the luxury or be in a developed country if you pay more money. Otherwise you are demoted to reality.

We will get there – our generation and others, you and me. Slowly.

The views are my own and do not reflect those of my employer.”

Another user wrote: “Uber needs to add a verified ‘Gutkha Free’ driver badge. This can come from collecting feedback from users in the app. For example, how they ask “was the air conditioning working” between drives.

It’s just a simple exploratory survey that can be popped up while driving!

And so based on this data/record for a certain period of time – say a quarter – the driver can get a ‘Gutkha Free’ driving badge!”

A third user said, “Drivers eating/spitting gutka is not Uber’s problem. They can do all types of verification checks, but they can’t stop people from getting on the platform because a driver eats gutka. Even I had a similar thought, but availability of gutka in India is the problem, ban it completely. If it is available, how can the company use it for drivers’ consumption 10. it will be affected.”

To summarize, it’s not Uber’s headache to filter out people consuming gutka; it should have been banned in the first place; it’s the government’s problem.

Gutka was also to be banned; it’s actually banned, but people still consume it via the “Twin-Packet” Loophole; read it around, you’ll be amazed xD”

LiveMint has asked Uber for details on its conduct guidelines and penalties for civil or hygiene complaints. The story will be updated when a response is received.