⚠️ Beware of this bastos Grab driver ⚠️
Had just been to Iloilo City on a business trip and this guy, right when we got into the car, commented about my and my sister’s faces — saying if we’re from Kalibo because our noses are different from the people around the city.
I thought it was just small talk using our long running inside joke re Filipino noses, which of course isn’t really funny.
We said, “no we’re not from Kalibo. We’re from Cebu”
He answered “ah do you live right by the wet market?”
Weird but okay. I just said “no but yeah it’s super traffic and it floods often”
He then said he used to stay in Cebu City for a long time and that he often ate big fishes. He said he would pick a fish everyday and eat it. He kept on putting emphasis on the word “kain” (we spoke Tagalog since Hiligaynon and Cebuano could have mistranslations).
His voice was super loud that he was mostly the only one talking. My younger sister didn’t talk at all and I was the only one answering him short replies. Since he was talking about food, I mentioned we were going to try Molo Soup but with his super loud voice, what I said couldn’t be heard anymore. That’s when I realized, he actually sounded aggressive. Quite opposite of what Ilongos I heard are like. So I just let him have his monologue.
Blahs, eat fish, eat fish, and then he said,
“Gabi gabi……alam mo na.”
The way he said “alam no na” was suggestive of something. He was being bastos and it took me time to get it. To make sure I’m not misunderstanding anything, I said,
“Di ko alam. Anong ginagawa mo gabi gabi?”
He replied,
“Escorts. Ang dami dun. Daming estudyante.”
Fortunately fortunately fortunately, we arrived at our destination shortly after he said that. It was very inappropriate to talk to two young women. It disgusted me and my sister and had us overthinking if we wore anything suggestive for him to treat us that way. (We were both in polo shirts and pants — none tight or body-hugging as we were out for business matters).
To women out there, especially students (since he expressed interest to students), when you see this man pop up when you book a supposedly safe Grab ride in Iloilo, cancel it.
I already reported it to Grab and I’m still waiting for their decision. But who knows, he might get temporarily suspended and drive again or he might use other ride-hailing services, beware.