In a Tiktok video that’s currently going viral on social media platforms, Kim Ezekiel, who goes by the username @pvtoseko on Tiktok, shared his disturbing experience supposedly during a taxi ride booked with a ride-hailing app last May 30, 2024. Based on the video, Kim was at the receiving end of backhanded insults, derogatory questions, and disapproving comments from the ride’s driver. He started filming on his phone when he realized the conversation was starting to get uncomfortable.
Photo: wander Fleur, Unsplash
“Masaya ka sa ganyan? Sa maling pamumuhay?” “Binabalik lang kita sa normal.” “Di ka ‘nya pwedeng tanggapin. [Referring to Jesus]” were just some of the comments hurled at Kim by the driver.
Kim enjoys dressing up and putting on makeup, as can be seen in his Tiktok account. And he does so quite impressively! On the day of the incident, Kim was all dressed up—donned in a white button-up shirt with big ruffled collars and a small red bow in the middle, and gorgeous makeup to tie the look together. He was headed to a graduation he was invited to.
Kim told us the story: “I booked a [brand redacted] taxi po kasi I’m late na sa graduation that I will attend and it’s a long byahe rin kasi traffic. Pagkasakay ko sa taxi is tinanong ako nung driver if I’m going to attend something and sabi ko po yes.”
Screenshot: Tiktok @pvtoseko
It wasn’t long after Kim got in the car that the driver apparently started asking personal things, like his religion. Kim shared, “Kala ko normal conversation lang sya until tinanong nya if ano religion ko, sabi ko both of my parents are Muslims and response nya, “E ikaw ano ka?” Kim said he tried to dismiss this question by simply answering, “Hindi ko po alam.”
Then the driver went on, according to Kim. “Then tinanong nya if nagbabasa po ng ako bible then sumagot po ako nicely: ‘Hindi po kasi muslim po parents ko, Qur’an po yung bible namin. Dun na nagstart na magvideo ako kasi uncomfy na ako sa questions nya. Like pinapamukha nya talaga sa’kin na may mali sa ginagawa ko just because I’m expressing myself. May part na tinanong nya ako ‘lalaki ka ba or babae’ and hindi ko po sinagot agad kasi it’s so awkward to answer that kasi nakamakeup and nakaayos ako as feminine.”
Kim’s video garnered 3.9 million views on Tiktok in just 24 hours of posting. You can watch it here:
@pvtoseko i booked a Joyride taxi kaninang umaga to attend and event kasi late na ako, and this happened. I’m kinda offended sa mga sinasabi nya, first is tinanong nya ako if I’m reading the bible and sabi ko “No po kasi muslim both parents ko” and he replied “e ikaw ano ka?” I’m really not sharing my real info sa ganong bagay kaya sabi ko “hindi ko po alam” and then eto na nangyare, pinagbasa nya rin ako ng bible even tho sinabi ko sakanya na my parents was muslim. #fyp ♬ original sound – IG:izzy.kiell
When asked if he had reported the incident, Kim said that he did, and that the ride-hailing company had already deactivated the driver’s account and would block his number so that the driver can’t contact him again.
Ending our interview on a positive note, Kim had these inspiring words to share: “Spread positivity and stop discrimination, whether if it’s about gender identity, religion, etc. Everyone has their own beliefs and we already know what is right and what is wrong.”
~
