“Something Has To Be Done”: Cape Town Woman Captures Taxi Driver’s Terrible Behaviour on the Road

• A Cape Town woman filmed a taxi driver reaching out of his window and deliberately bending her side mirror
• The woman says she had been following the rules of the road and believes she was targeted because the taxi driver felt she was in his way
• South Africans flooded the comments with anger and advice, with many saying this kind of behaviour from taxi drivers has gone on for far too long

A Cape Town woman who goes by @leandri.nel.3975 on Facebook posted a video on 8 April 2026 that had Mzansi absolutely fuming. She was sitting in her lane at a traffic light on her way to work when a taxi pulled up alongside her. Without warning, the driver reached out of his window and physically pushed her left side mirror forward. He bent it forward so she could no longer use it properly. She was in shock, explaining she was not expecting what had just happened. The driver said a few words and drove off.

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In her post, she shared her thoughts on the incident, saying:

"I was punished because I followed the traffic laws put in place to keep us safe. Something has to be done about this behaviour."

She also mentioned that she had started arriving at work an hour early every day just to avoid situations like this. She managed to capture the driver's face and number plate on video and tagged the City of Cape Town and the mayor directly, asking for help.

Taxi behaviour on SA roads

This kind of incident is not new, and many commuters have shared similar experiences over the years. Taxis operate under enormous pressure to fill vehicles and meet routes on time, but that frustration has always spilled over into dangerous and aggressive behaviour towards other road users.

Commenters pointed out that Codeta, the taxi association, does handle complaints against drivers and may be a more direct route for incidents like this one.

Watch the Facebook video below:

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Cape Town debates the taxi mirror incident

Social media users were equal parts angry and full of advice on Facebook user @leandri.nel.3975's clip:

@Rene Vermaas said:

"Taxis are a protected species. They do what they want when they want."

@Warren Friedman wrote:

"I really sympathise with all the ladies out there who are not in a position to retaliate."

@Babo Babo added:

"Report it to Codeta. Their taxi association already deals with these kinds of issues, I promise."

@Rakgadi Motseto said:

"Pepper spray ma'am."

@Brandon Domingo added:

"Open a case and report it to your car insurance."

@Kevin Redman wrote:

"It is at that point where I would defend myself and turn my vehicle into a battering ram."

@Shakur Raciet noted:

"That looks like a Killarney taxi heading towards Dunoon."

More taxi moments that had Mzansi talking

• Briefly News recently reported on a taxi driver at a petrol station who went overboard during the fuel hike that had South Africans laughing and relating at the same time.
• A taxi crashed into a group of cyclists on Victoria Road in Cape Town, and what one of the riders lost in the accident left the cycling community devastated.
• A woman boarded a taxi full of ANC supporters and rode the whole way for free without anyone suspecting a thing, and how she pulled it off is absolutely brilliant.

Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News