American travel vlogger Melanie Guintu, hailing from California, has been on an exploration journey across Southeast Asia. During her latest adventure, Melanie and her friend Matt set foot in Kuala Lumpur for the first time, anticipating an exhilarating start to their trip. Capturing their experiences, the two shared their first day in KL through a travel vlog on YouTube, exuding excitement as they arrived at KLIA.
However, their excitement was dampened when they encountered their Grab driver for the first time. They found it peculiar that the driver seemed impatient and somewhat grumpy. Despite Matt helping to load their luggage into the trunk, the driver simply stood by, holding the trunk open, appearing rushed despite the lack of traffic.
While Malaysians are accustomed to such behaviour from local Grab drivers, the couple understandably felt uneasy as first-timers in the city. Known for their friendly and open demeanour in their videos, the couple found the treatment surprising.
As Matt loaded the luggage, the impatient driver abruptly closed the trunk, seemingly without warning, while Matts's head was still inside. Rather than apologising, the driver remained silent, ignoring the situation. The driver remained silent throughout the journey from the airport to the city centre, leaving us wondering if Melanie had accidentally activated the Quiet Ride setting.
Despite the unpleasant encounter, the duo refused to let it ruin their first day in KL. Upon arriving at their Airbnb, surrounded by towering buildings, Melanie was impressed by the city's nightscape, expressing her immediate liking for the city. She also noted the diversity of KL, encountering Chinese and Indian people during check-in, sparking curiosity about the city's history.
During dinner, Matt searched online to understand Malaysia's cultural diversity, gaining insights into the nation's rich heritage. Ending on a positive note, Melanie compared KL's Char Kuey Teow to Thai Pad Thai, favouring the former for its savoury and smoky flavours.
In the comments, several netizens commented that Grab drivers have to pay to enter the pickup zone at the airport, speculating that their driver might have been eager to avoid exceeding the 5-minute grace period to avoid charges.
With that in mind, we hope the duo has a more pleasant remainder of their trip and encounters friendlier Malaysians following the initial incident.
Do you think the Grab driver should have been more friendly and helpful? Let us know in the comments!
