'Children don't do this on purpose': Grab driver calmly reacts to child who vomited in car, surprised by S$25 tip

What appeared to be a lesson in patience turned out to be a lesson in “karma” for one Private Hire Vehicle driver.

Unexpected circumstances

On the morning of Dec. 20, Grab driver Ang Ee Xin picked up a family from the Serangoon area for a trip to the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal.

But just as they were about to reach their destination, one child, whom Ang described as “so small" and "so innocent”, suddenly vomited.

The vomit ended up all over the child’s clothing and the seatbelt, as well as filling the car with a pungent smell.

Rather than feeling angry, however, Ang said she felt “bad”, mentally chiding herself for not being prepared with supplies that might have helped with this situation.

Instead, Ang tried to comfort the child, offering her some lavender scents to smell, in case it made her feel better.

Apologetic

Ultimately, when the family reached the destination, a family friend picked them up, who instantly reacted to the smell.

Ang acknowledged the situation and said that the smell was “quite bad”.

The child’s mother was very apologetic but Ang tried to reassure her by saying: “It’s okay. Just go and enjoy your holiday.”

Ang then returned home to clean the car and reminded herself that “children don’t do this on purpose”.

But her sanguine acceptance of the circumstances did not go unrewarded, with the family ultimately sending her a S$25 tip, more than the value of the trip fare itself.

Karma?

Ang shared the incident on social media, saying that he wanted her fellow drivers to know about the incident, urging them not to react too quickly if something similar should happen to them.

Instead, she urged them to think of the children in such circumstances as “their own”.

“Maybe the universe was telling me to slow down. To take a short break. To clean up and reset, even though I had just started my day.”

Commenters warmly welcomed the story, with some saying the world needed more reactions such as Ang’s, and others saying the story brightened their day.

One emphasised the point that children never intended to make such a mess.

Others offered helpful tips, noting that it was possible to claim up to S$150 from Grab to cover the cost of clean up.

Top image via Goodman PHV SG/Facebook &  Rolando Garrido/Unsplash