The rapid work culture, extended office hours, and rising cost of living in Bengaluru have been increasingly blurring the lines between corporate employment and gig economy jobs. This reality has been highlighted once again by a recent post on X, after a techie shared that his late-night Rapido driver was actually a corporate employee with a full-time job.
Rapido driver with a corporate day job
This incident was shared by an X user named Abhinav, who shared a shocking experience of a conversation he had during a night ride with a Rapido driver. According to his post, the Rapido captain was actually a sales manager at PhonePe, who worked from the office during the day, owned a flat in Bengaluru, and drove for Rapido at night.
“Bengaluru is so crazy bro. My rapido driver is a sales manager in phonepe who has a flat in Bengaluru. Works at office during the day. And drives rapido at night,” Abhinav wrote, sparking widespread discussion online.
Bengaluru is so crazy bro
— abhinav (@AbhinavXJ) February 8, 2026
My rapido driver is a sales manager in phonepe who has a flat in Bengaluru
Works at office during the day
And drives rapido at night
Mixed reactions on social media
The post went viral in no time, with users sharing widely differing opinions. Several comments were made about the economic pressures that are leading to such a situation.
One user commented, “This is not a flex,this shows our economy is getting worse people can’t afford simple lifestyle without working two jobs a day.”
A second user wrote, “That's not hustle culture. That's a cost-of-living signal. When a sales manager with a flat still needs a second job, it is not about ambition, it is about survival in an economy where salaries lag housing, EMIs, and inflation. Bengaluru is not just building startups. It is quietly normalizing burnout as responsibility.”
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Others see it as practical or voluntary
Not everybody saw things in doom and gloom terms, either. A user wrote, “The gig economy hits different when your side hustle pays more than most people's main job. Bangalore's cost of living will make anyone creative with income streams,” a third user said.”
“I met a Rapido driver in Thane last year who was actually a software engineer at TCS. When I asked him why he joined Rapido, he said it was just to pass the time, as after work he had nothing else to do. It’s sad that youngsters these days lack hobbies to keep themselves engaged”, wrote another.
A global trend, not just Bengaluru
Some also noted in passing that this is not unique to India, and around the world, professionals are frequently seen launching their ride-hailing apps after work or on the weekends to make some extra money on the way to or from work, or their free time.
A user wrote, “This is very normal outside India. Uber can be driven by anyone there. So people switch on Uber post office hours and pick up rides on their way back home lol. It is insane, have known people at office earning a couple of thousand dollars over long weekends out of Ubering.”
