Evening. You order a taxi through an app, get into the car, and suddenly the driver cancels the route, does not respond to requests to stop, and drives you to a completely different part of the city. This is how one resident of Bratislava described the start of a night trip — her post spread through local Facebook groups.
What happened
The woman ordered a taxi through an app. In the middle of the trip, the driver canceled the order himself, saying he would take her home for free because it was supposedly “on his way.” Instead, he went to Šafárikovo námestie (Šafárikovo Square) — saying he wanted to “show paintings in his office.” He did not respond to the passenger’s request to stop.
When the woman finally managed to get out of the car at Šafárikovo námestie (Šafárikovo Square), she ran away and called her friends. But the driver did not give up: he continued to chase her by car all the way to the YEME store on Landererova ulica (Landererova Street). There he again demanded that she get into the car, and upon hearing refusal, began to swear and threaten, claiming he knew her address, writes Emefka.sk citing a post in Bratislava groups.
The victim, together with friends, filed a report with the police. Meanwhile, users on social networks began to independently identify the car, a blue Škoda Combi, its license plate, and the taxi services the driver might have worked with.
Police reaction — and why it raised questions
The law enforcement officers classified the incident as a priestupok (administrative offense), not a criminal crime. According to unofficial information, the reason is that criminal intent (dangerous pursuit or threats) is difficult to prove when there was no direct physical attack.
For the passenger, the difference is significant. An administrative offense mostly results in a fine, while a criminal case for stalking or threats of murder or serious bodily harm carries a much heavier responsibility. This classification caused the most outrage among people in the comments.
Not the first case this year
A similar story happened in May 2026: a message appeared on social networks about an alleged kidnapping of a girl by a taxi driver on the route from Rovinka to Bratislava. According to the author, the driver deviated from the agreed route, stopped, and began talking to strangers, and the passenger managed to escape during their argument. However, the police later expressed doubts about the truthfulness of that story, suggesting it might have been a fabricated post for attention.
Against the background of such stories, Bratislava police have intensified targeted taxi checks this year. During a raid on April 25–26, they found 18 violations, and on June 17 — more than 40: from traffic violations to problems with the technical condition of cars and documentation, reports TASR.
How to protect yourself and what to do if something goes wrong
Several practical steps that really work:
- Order through the app, not “by hand.” In Bolt or Uber, the trip is recorded: route, driver, car number. If the driver cancels the order in the app during the trip, it is a warning sign — you lose the digital trail of the trip. Demand to stop or call 158 immediately.
- Check the car before getting in. The make, color, and license plate must match what the app shows.
- Share your trip. Both major apps allow you to send live tracking of the route to a friend with one tap.
- Sit in the back seat and keep your phone in your hand. In a critical situation, these are seconds.
- If the driver changes the route without explanation, demand to stop in a busy place — a gas station, a 24-hour store, not “somewhere nearby.” It was fleeing to a busy store that helped the heroine of this story.
- File a report, even if “nothing happened.” A report to 158 or the nearest police station is the only way for the driver to have a “history.” A single priestupok (administrative offense) may seem minor, but if there are several reports from different passengers, the picture changes for the police.
- Complain to the taxi service as well. Screenshots of the trip, car number, time — platforms are obliged to respond, up to blocking the driver.
If you find yourself in a similar situation, do not stay silent and do not limit yourself to a Facebook post. A formal report to the police plus a complaint to the operator give much more than a wave of outrage in comments. Although, as this story shows, publicity forces both the police and taxi services to react faster.
