Story By: John Feng, Sub-Editor: Alex Cope, Agency: Asia Wire Report
Video Credit: AsiaWire
This is the moment a cabbie who reminds a drunk female passenger not to be sick inside his car is pummelled by her male pal – but restrains himself urging the aggressor to “just beat me to death, then”.
Taxi driver Mr Ouyang, who is from the city of Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province in South China, picked up the three friends outside a restaurant in Baiyun District.
The trio in their early 20s had reportedly finished a late-night snack and boarded Mr Ouyang’s taxi smelling of alcohol.
According to the cabbie, the female passenger in the back seat said she had had too much to drink, and that she felt like vomiting.
Mr Ouyang said he could pull over and let her be sick by the roadside instead of inside his car.
Security footage from the vehicle shows the woman’s friend in the front passenger seat saying: “She won’t throw up.”
But Mr Ouyang responds: “You say that, but what if she does?
“I’ll ask for compensation, and you won’t want to give me any.”
The cabbie’s comment appears to offend the friend, who tells Mr Ouyang: “Just drive. Don’t say anything more.”
And after another brief exchange, the man wearing a black T-shirt says: “Pull over here.”
The footage then cuts to Mr Ouyang being struck hard in the face by the suspect, who screams: “F*ck you!”
Before punching him again and leaving, he screams: “You’re nobody! F*ck you!”
Mr Ouyang holds his mobile phone in his hand, preparing to call the police. Instead of fighting back or defending himself, he says: “Just beat me to death, then.”
According to reports, Mr Ouyang was punched over 20 times by the suspect and the second male passenger.
He chased them on foot but was unable to stop them from fleeing the scene after one threatened him with a knife, according to reports.
Local media report the cabbie was later hospitalised with non-life threatening injuries, and the suspects were detained for assault.
The authorities said the men would be ordered to compensate Mr Ouyang for his injuries, as well as for work missed as a result of his hospital stay.
It is unclear whether their punishment included any jail time.
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