u/Born_Engineering_785

This is is not meant to offend anyone. I understand many drivers are just trying to be friendly or stay awake during long shifts. But if I’m paying a premium to take a private hire car instead of the bus or MRT, one of the things I’m paying for is personal space and quiet.

Usually when I enter the car, I immediately put on my earphones as a sign that I’m occupied or not in the mood to talk. However, some drivers still continue trying to engage me in conversation relentlessly, and I end up feeling rude for not responding. There’s this unspoken pressure to entertain them even when I genuinely do not want to talk.

Some encounters that really crossed the line for me:

1. I once took a GrabHitch ride and the driver started asking me for business advice after finding out what industry I worked in just from looking at the 2 places I was rushing between and nearly late, but he kept probing for information and networking opportunities. It felt extremely opportunistic and uncomfortable.
2. Another time, I was travelling to IMH for a psychiatric appointment. The driver asked what I was going there for, so I said I was visiting a friend. He then kept pressing further, asking what condition my “friend” had. After that, he started oversharing about himself, saying he used to work as a bodyguard, and repeatedly asked what I did for a living. I really did not appreciate how invasive that felt.
3. The worst one was after my grandmother passed away. I took a ride and the driver was blasting techno music loudly. I politely asked him to lower the volume, and he replied aggressively: “Then you better talk to me lah! I’m bored!”
4. There's also an old man on a Grab Share ride, whom tried match make me with another passenger. I find it very lame and I could sense that it made the other passenger very awkward.
5. There's also been a few cases where I already closed my eyes and napped, and they still have the audacity to talk to me.

I know not all drivers are like this, and I’ve had many respectful and professional rides too. But some drivers, especially older males, really need to understand that silence is not hostility. Sometimes passengers are tired, grieving, anxious, working, or simply want quiet.

Grab also used to have a “Quiet Ride” or silent mode feature, but I can’t seem to find it anymore. Not sure whether it was removed or my app just hasn’t updated properly.

Drivers, genuinely asking, what’s the clearest and most polite way for passengers to signal that they do not wish to engage in conversation without seeming rude?

Hi all,

I’ve been dealing with ongoing fatigue and mental overload for a while now and wanted to see if others have experienced something similar. Just a context, I have been working for the past 7 weeks with little-to-no off days.

Lately I’ve noticed:

• persistent tiredness regardless of rest
• reduced mental clarity and focus
• increased irritability and lower patience than usual
• feeling easily overwhelmed by routine tasks
• simple chores like making my bed seems a lot of work
• occasional physical symptoms like light-headedness

My functioning is still intact, but noticeably reduced compared to before, and it feels harder to keep up with normal daily demands.

I’m trying to understand whether this is more likely burnout, stress-related, or something else people have gone through.

Would appreciate hearing from anyone with similar experiences and what helped.