In Bengaluru, where traffic jams are as predictable as the sunrise, and every minute counts, one techie has taken a rather surprising route—swapping a desk for a helmet and working part-time as a bike taxi rider.
This intriguing story came to light through a LinkedIn post by Chaarmika Nagalla, a Bengaluru resident who shared an unexpected experience during her daily commute. To avoid getting stuck in traffic, she booked a bike taxi—and was greeted with an unusual opening line: “Am I audible?” A line so corporate, it instantly piqued her curiosity.
To her surprise, the rider turned out to be a full-time employee at Infosys, working in the contract management team. It was his first day moonlighting as a bike taxi driver—not out of financial pressure, but to make better use of his free time, especially mornings and weekends, rather than scrolling endlessly through social media.
Chaarmika’s post struck a chord online, gathering thousands of reactions and sparking conversations around urban loneliness, productivity, and Bengaluru’s evolving gig culture.
Interestingly, this wasn’t an isolated encounter for her. Just a day earlier, on her return ride, she booked another bike taxi, only to find the rider on a premium motorcycle, wearing high-end biking gear. He, too, was a full-time professional—an employee at a B2B event management firm. His reason for riding? Not the extra money, but simply to enjoy some human interaction on his way home.
These personal encounters highlight a growing trend: professionals engaging in gig roles, not from necessity, but for meaning, connection, or even just a refreshing change of pace. It’s no longer uncommon to find software engineers, event managers, or consultants hopping into part-time driving gigs—not for survival, but to shake off the monotony and engage with the city in a more real, human way.
The LinkedIn comments section quickly became a space for similar anecdotes. One user shared how her partner once booked a ride only to find the driver was actually a colleague from the same company. Another recalled an encounter in Australia, where a driver dropped her off en route to his golf session—just another casual ride for him, but a memorable moment for her.
This trend isn’t confined to Bengaluru either. Not long ago, another story surfaced of a Microsoft employee in the same city who drove an auto-rickshaw on weekends. His motivation? Meeting new people and tackling the quiet void of loneliness.
As Bengaluru continues to be India’s startup and tech capital, it also seems to be at the forefront of redefining the boundaries between work, purpose, and play—one ride at a time.
