S’pore private hire driver's passenger forgot luggage in car, he considers flying to China to return it

A private-hire driver in Singapore was left with an unusual dilemma after his passenger left their luggage behind and flew back to China.

In a TikTok video posted on Jun. 3, the driver, Yong Wei, said he was a “half time Grab driver, half time personal chauffeur” and had encountered a “very unique problem”.

Considered flying to Xiamen

@yongwei92Client is paying not me, what would you do? Also I went thru the items it’s 100% clothes nothing illegal♬ Mini Vlog - Neyaraf

According to Yong Wei, he had checked with a few shipping companies and was told that it would cost close to S$500 to ship the luggage over.

The process would also take about three to five working days.

Given the cost, Yong Wei said he was seriously considering flying to Xiamen himself to return the luggage.

He said:

“So I’m really thinking, should I book a flight to Xiamen, go there, deliver the luggage, and then go for lunch, and then fly back to Singapore in the evening."

He then asked viewers what they would do in his position, given that both options would cost about the same.

In the caption of the TikTok video, Yong Wei added that the client would be paying for the cost, not him.

Found cheaper air freight option

Speaking to Mothership, Yong Wei said he is 34 (and single), and has been driving private-hire vehicles since 2022.

Yong Wei said he “really considered flying” to China instead, partly to give himself a few hours of holiday before quickly returning to work.

However, he decided against it as he had appointments scheduled daily and thought it would be “too troublesome”.

“I managed to find a cheaper air freight solution at $168, so it became a win-win for all parties, anyways I’m not the one paying,” he told Mothership.

A photo of the receipt seen by Mothership showed a fee of S$168.95 for the air freight shipment to Xiamen, China.

Photos Yong Wei shared also showed the luggage wrapped in bubble wrap before being shipped.

He added that he had made sure there was “nothing illegal or non-compliant” inside the luggage.

TikTok users weighed in

Yong Wei’s TikTok post drew mixed reactions from commenters, with some encouraging him to make the trip.

One user suggested:

Another said flying there personally would leave “a very deep impression” on the client, and that the impression would be “more valuable than your opportunity cost”.

Others were more practical, with one commenter pointing out that Yong Wei had not considered his opportunity cost from potential lost income.