Didi Passenger Accidentally Ingests Driver’s Urine

A Shanghai passenger riding in a premium ride service of Didi, China’s ride-hailing giant, drank from a water bottle mixed with the driver’s urine on Oct. 9, according to Guangdong Radio Television (GRT).

Didi’s year of major scandals continues, after a 20-year-old woman raped and murdered by a DiDi Driver in August.

“I feel nauseous and humiliated,” said passenger Sun, “I vomited yesterday. And I haven’t eaten anything. All I can do is smoke and drink alcohol.”

Didi later confirmed that the urine did belong to the driver, who had allegedly had trouble finding a toilet and decided to use the water bottle to deal with the emergency, causing the incident. The driver has been banned from the platform.

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At the time of the incident, Sun was riding with three other colleagues in a seven-seat premium car where Didi provides amenities such as phone chargers, wet wipes, umbrellas, and complementary bottles of water.

When Sun felt thirsty and reached for a bottle of water with a Didi logo neatly printed on it, little did he know he was in for a nasty surprise. He noticed that the bottle had been opened but the driver reassured him that no one had touched it.

“I took a sip but immediately spat it out, because I could tell there was something wrong with that water,” he said.

After spitting it out and confronting the driver, the driver insisted the urine was not his and got agitated when Sun reached for his phone to file for a complaint. The driver apologized to Sun and admitted fault immediately, saying he would lose his job and asked to settle the matter privately, without involving the authorities. Sun rejected his plead and immediately notified Didi’s customer service and the police.

The company has since apologized for the incident and arranged a few employees to accompany Sun to the hospital for a physical examination on Oct. 10. Didi promised to do everything they can to provide assistance and health protection should Mr.Sun have suffered any medical consequences due to the ingestion.

Doctors explained that urine doesn’t contain any harmful components and as long as the driver was healthy, the accidental urine intake should not impact Mr. Sun’s health. However, the doctor emphasized that it is still necessary to go through with the examination.

How hard is it to find a bathroom?

Drivers told GRT reporters on Oct. 11 that finding bathrooms is a real struggle. A limited number of parking spots and bathrooms are the main reasons.

“Almost all the parking spots are taken. This is the third bathroom I’ve been to,” a driver said.