Bengaluru Techie Builds ‘Kidnap Button’ That Books Him Random Uber Rides- His Weird Weekend Projects Are Going Viral

New Delhi:  In a city known for its tech experiments, one Bengaluru innovator has gone viral for building what he calls a “kidnap button.” Instead of wasting weekends scrolling endlessly or making half‑hearted plans, he presses a physical digital push button connected to a Raspberry Pi. The device runs a Python script that instantly books him an Uber to a random destination in the city. 

The idea, he explained in a now‑viral post on X, was born out of frustration with idle weekends. “I’ve pressed it 11 times so far and never had a bad trip,” he wrote, before announcing his latest adventure — a visit to a 110‑year‑old wrestling pit in Shivajinagar. Videos shared online show the quirky setup: a smiley‑face button wired to a motherboard, and a smartphone screen displaying Uber’s “locating your driver” message in real time. 

This project is only the latest in a long line of eccentric builds by Pankaj, who has carved out a niche for himself with “weird, fun, and fast‑built side projects” that blend humour, utility, and satire. His creations often go viral, drawing millions of views and coverage from mainstream media. 

Among his most talked‑about inventions is the AI Helmet, which uses real‑time image recognition to flag traffic violations and send proof directly to the police. The project earned him national TV interviews and even recognition from Bengaluru City Police. Another viral experiment linked his Zerodha stock portfolio to his bedroom lights, turning them red when he lost money and calming them when markets recovered. 

He has also built a Chrome extension called Scream to Unlock, which blocks social media until users scream “I’m a loser” into their microphone, and a Fake Phone Call Escape Button that triggers a scripted call to help him exit awkward situations. His portfolio includes playful hacks like Cric‑Code, a fake VS Code editor that secretly streams cricket scores, and IMDBuddy, a browser extension that overlays IMDb ratings directly on OTT platforms. 

Not all of his projects are practical as some are deliberately absurd. His “Real Dark Mode” turns a website into pitch black, with the cursor acting as a flashlight. He even built an AI bot that auto‑likes his mother’s Instagram posts, trained on their WhatsApp chats, after she complained he wasn’t engaging with her content. 

The “kidnap button,” however, stands out because it tackles a universal problem: boredom. By forcing himself into spontaneous adventures, Pankaj has turned technology into a playful escape mechanism. In Bengaluru, India’s tech capital, his experiments resonate with thousands who see in them a mix of creativity, humour, and rebellion against routine.   As he summed up in his viral post: “Okay bye, going to a 110‑year‑old wrestling pit in Shivajinagar. I don’t know what to expect, but I’m excited.” 

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