‘Most Mumbai thing ever’: Taxi driver overcharges woman, then warns her against such scams

A social media post recounting an unusual encounter with a Mumbai taxi driver has gone viral, with the latest update showing the post has crossed 4.34 lakh views.

The woman, identified as Mudrika Kavdia on X (formerly Twitter), said she needed a taxi from Crawford Market to Churchgate, a journey she estimated would take around seven minutes. According to her post, the driver initially quoted Rs 200 for the trip, which she negotiated down to Rs 150.

“I was at Crawford Market in Mumbai and needed a taxi to Churchgate, which was barely seven minutes away. The driver quoted Rs 200, I negotiated it down to Rs 150, and he agreed without hesitation,” Kavdia wrote.


After reaching Churchgate and paying the negotiated fare, Kavdia said the driver revealed that the metered fare was actually Rs 110, admitting that he had overcharged her by Rs 30–40. She added that he then advised her to always insist on using the meter for future trips.

“You are new here, that’s why I am telling you. Take care of yourself,” the driver told her.

Kavdia said she was “completely stunned” by the exchange, describing it as a mix of honesty and hustle that she associated with Mumbai. “The honesty mixed with the hustle was the most Mumbai thing ever. But walked away somehow feeling like I’d just learned something valuable about this city and its people,” she said.

Social media reactions and official response

As per the latest update, the post has garnered 4.34 lakh views and hundreds of comments, with social media users sharing a range of reactions. One user wrote, “Peak Mumbai. In any other city, they scam you and speed away. In Mumbai, they scam you, then give you a receipt, a tutorial on how to avoid the scam next time, and a blessing for your future.” Another commented, “That’s peak Mumbai energy. A little hustle, a little honesty, and a free life lesson bundled together.”

Some users offered a critical perspective. “Honestly, had you gone by meter, he would’ve taken a circuitous route and you would’ve ended up paying 200. Better to have negotiated a fixed price beforehand,” one comment read. Another said, “Wow!!! So he was double-charging you. Then he reduced by 50 per cent and then gave you the advice! Guess you paid Rs 50 for advice! But most Mumbaikars are honest.”

Adding to the discussion, a user named Phantom wrote, “I appreciate the way Mumbaikars helped the tourist there. I have been to Mumbai almost 5–6 times and my experience was always good. In Delhi, everyone is there to fool you, but in Mumbai they might overcharge you, but not that much and many of them give genuine suggestions too.”

Another user, Indo Maximus, echoed similar sentiments, saying, “What I loved about Mumbai is whenever I asked ‘kitna’ to a taxi driver, he always said ‘meter mein jitna banega’. Never happens in Delhi. Always use app-based cab service.”

Vishweshwar Raste summed up the sentiment in a brief comment, stating, “Following rules in India is revolutionary.”

The post also drew an official response, with the Mumbai Traffic Police commenting on Kavdia’s post, “Please send the taxi number.”