Taxi driver's integrity wins hearts in China as he returns $24,000 overpayment to drunk passenger

A taxi driver in China, Du Liming, employed by an affiliate of Guangzhou Public Transport Group, received accolades on mainland social media for his dedicated efforts in locating a passenger who accidentally overpaid her fare by an astounding 170,000 yuan (US$24,000) due to intoxication. The incident unfolded around 3 am on December 14 when Chen, the passenger, was assisted into Du’s cab by a friend after a night out. Upon completing the journey, Chen mistakenly swiped her payment card’s QR code for a fare that should have been 60 yuan (US$8). It was only at the end of Du’s shift that he discovered the unexpected additional amount on his rarely used Alipay account. “At first, I thought I had read the number wrong,” Du recounted. Despite reporting the incident to the nearest police station, contacting his company, reaching out to Alipay, and leaving messages for Chen, there was no immediate response. Expressing empathy, Du emphasised the urgency of finding the passenger, drawing on personal experiences of misplacing valuable belongings. “Losing things, particularly a large sum of money, is very worrying, so I wanted to find the customer as soon as possible,” he stated. In his relentless pursuit, Du sought assistance from local media, resulting in a viral news story about the search for the passenger. Eventually, Chen learned about the situation through a friend who had seen the news and contacted Du. The money was successfully returned in their subsequent meeting. Mainland social media users expressed admiration for Du’s empathy and determination, with one saying, “Du is so kind,” and another noting, “Du seemed more anxious than Chen. What a great man.”