Listen, Suzhou Didi Drivers: If You Don't Wanna Work, Then Just Don't.
-
We've just concluded our trip to Suzhou, and in the midday, we hailed a taxi using Didi (similar to Uber or Grab) to go to the high-speed train station (a station where ultra-fast trains can be taken). But oh no! We met an unorthodox driver!
- We ordered a ride through "Didi", kind of like you guys have Uber or Grab. Did you know it's such a frequently used app for taxi-hailing services in China?
- As soon as the driver arrived, he immediately laid into us for standing there waiting and explained that he had to take a detour. It was strange though because the same didn't happen when previous rides were booked; previous drivers just pulled over.
- All throughout the ride, his mouth never stopped speaking, “teaching” us and urging with phrases like “hurry up.” At first, we thought he must be having a bad day so no need to make a fuss. But things escalated!
- The unexpected happened: he started cursing in Mandarin (China's official language), and more importantly, that’s vulgar stuff, the kind that left us with an icky feeling when heard. Imagine hearing this stream of dirty mouth words pouring out of a big man, three of us girls, sat at the back seat, feeling too frightened to say anything but rather vented on each other by typing furious complaints in a WeChat group chat.
- I just want to mention that if one can't handle this job, then it makes sense to not do it! Our money was meant to pay for service and not to endure humiliation.
️ Some reminders for international travelers coming to China, especially on using ride-hailing apps: ️- This situation happened again:
- Just like what we experienced, the driver started complaining from the onset, saying that the location where he came across was not ideal since it made him take unnecessary detours (yet previous drivers managed the same spot without issue).
- During the boarding time, he hurried us nonstop.
- The most outrageous part was that after we left the initial spot of pick-up, the driver started to use very harsh words in Mandarin, which definitely offended everyone in attendance.
- Important reminder & solutions:
- Maintaining personal safety is the utmost priority: If a driver seems aggressive or poses any threat, it's better to refrain from confronting directly and prioritizes protecting oneself. In our case, staying silent might actually be better.
- You can report the driver after your journey: Ride-hailing app like Didi usually provides channels for complaints. Definitively make sure after your journey, find these platforms within the app, and file a report against the said driver. Additionally, try to make notes on license number or driver identifier if possible.
- Not all drivers are like that: We have been lucky enough to interact with friendly drivers during our days in Suzhou. Nonetheless, this experience reminded us that occasionally we would stumble upon some unpleasant people. Being careful never hurts!
-
I'm honestly speechless about Suzhou drivers. I'm hesitant to even hail a ride now. They either refuse to go to the exact destination or glare at you as if you owe them a fortune.
-
Seriously, I just got here today and I know exactly what you mean. It's impossible to get them to drop you off at the precise location when you hail a cab, so you end up having to walk the rest of the way.
-
Ladies, seriously, avoid Didi in Suzhou. It took less than a minute from booking to getting in the car. I had a three-year-old with me, so we were a bit slow getting in, and the driver looked totally annoyed. He was blasting TikTok super loudly while driving. I asked if he could turn it down a bit as I needed to make a call. He turned around and glared at me—his look was incredibly fierce, like a gangster—and then he just kicked us out of the car. Every word of this is true.
-
That's just outrageous!
-
It was midday, took a Didi in Suzhou. Parking wasn't allowed where he stopped, so we spent ages looking for the driver. When we finally got in, he started yelling at us, complaining about why we were taking a cab at noon. He kept scolding us throughout the ride. Seriously, if you don't want the job, don't do it! He even claimed we forced him to take the order.
-
Exactly!
-
I agree, Suzhou drivers are the most erratic and have the worst attitude I've ever encountered
. -
Negative review! File a complaint!
-
Suzhou Didi is just... ugh. It really damages the city's overall image.
-
I also suspect it was the same driver +1. I'm truly speechless. The location pin was wrong, and after we'd already walked a lot, we hailed a cab just to save a few steps. We ended up running around, asking for directions to even find the car, and he kept calling and rushing us. Once we got in, he immediately asked, 'Do you even know how to read a map or use GPS?' We didn't say anything, and he snapped, 'You made me wait so long and not even an apology. Complain if you want! Suzhou's GDP doesn't need you to boost it. Suzhou doesn't need you people; your visit is already disrupting normal life here.' Who even mentioned complaining? Then, right in front of us, he called the ride-hailing platform to complain that we had set the wrong location! We three girls were just sitting in the back, speechless and stunned. My friend, who was quite upset by then, said sarcastically, 'Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) is right, Suzhou drivers are really something else,' to which he retorted, 'Don't make regional attacks!'
-
I know one person doesn't represent everyone, but when there are only people from two different provinces in the car... In such a confined, small space, you don't encounter many locals on a trip. This really left a deep, negative impression and completely ruined our mood. We never expected this. When we were in Nanjing, we were looking forward to Suzhou. But once we got here, we felt that the provincial capital (Nanjing) truly lives up to its name; it's on a different level. At least in Nanjing, the taxi drivers were enthusiastic and even recommended sights. We only hailed a cab because we'd walked too much, didn't want more hassle, and weren't familiar with the roads. When we got off, he even claimed our hotel address was wrong, saying something like, 'If I wasn't familiar with this area...' Seriously? My hotel booking clearly showed that address, and the system confirmed it. What am I, an out-of-towner, supposed to say to that? In one afternoon, we took three rides, and at least two drivers had attitudes that made us very uncomfortable; the third was just okay. I guess it's all my fault for choosing to travel here, to an unfamiliar place, taking expensive rides just so you could make money off me.
-
Today, I took a cab from Suzhou Railway Station with my nearly 80-year-old grandmother. My plan was to drop her off at her residential complex entrance first (about 3km), and then I'd continue in the same cab for my own errand (another 7km). The car stank, and to make matters worse, the driver kept complaining that picking up our fare was a loss for him due to downtown traffic. In reality, there wasn't any serious traffic, just a two-cycle wait at one traffic light. When we reached that light, he actually told my grandmother to get out alone in the middle of the main road (not even by the curb!) and walk a kilometer, so he could then take me directly. He eventually did drive her to her complex entrance, but we both got out immediately. I decided to hail a new cab rather than continue with him.
-
We are all Suzhou locals; the driver was from out of town.
-
I suspect we encountered the same driver.
-
I'm also speechless about Suzhou drivers. While waiting for a Didi at Suzhou Station South Square, I encountered two incredibly annoying ride-hail drivers trying to solicit passengers. They kept asking if I wanted a ride, even after I said no. One even told me not to stand there if I wasn't taking a ride-hail, as if he owned the place! Another one, after I again said no, started cursing at me, calling me ugly, a 'poor migrant worker,' and even threatened to 'kick me to death.' It was the first time I'd ever encountered anyone so utterly uncivilized. They clearly make their living from tourists and people who come to Suzhou for work, yet they look down on us, even though they're just workers themselves.