Unexpected

Taxi passengers are a confusing mob. Just when you think you’ve seen it all they’ll surprise you when least expected. Consider this passenger from early this morning...

Around 2am, a fella in his thirties hailed me on the Pacific Highway at St Leonards, headed for the City. Dressed in a white business shirt, black trousers and shoes he looked like any  office jockey. Though he only carried a bare bottle of wine, I didn’t think anything of it. But therein lay the clue, despite him presenting as sober with no alcohol odour.

He related how time flies when immersed in a project after hours, with no other staff around to distract him from maintaining computer server networks. Speaking in comfortable, logical IT jargon it was obvious he worked in the industry and I had no reason for suspicion whatsoever.

So by the time we reached Whitlam Square at College Street it was a total surprise to hear him fling open the back door and say, "See ya, dude !", then run across the street into Hyde Park. Instinctively I reversed and threw a U-turn to drive around the park into Elizabeth Street. From there I could see him hiding behind a tree, crouching and looking back from where he’d come. Then he doubled back, so I tore around the park to trail him running down Stanley Street.

From thereon in we played a game of cat and mouse as I had him trapped in a small neighbourhood bounded by Liverpool, Crown, Stanley and Hargraves Streets. He’d tear off in one direction only to find me waiting at the next corner.

It was absolutely comical, especially when I found him taking a breather in Riley Street. When I jumped out of the cab he shit himself, and breathless with fear, yelled , "See ya, dude !" and bolted again. By then he was really buggered from ten minutes of running and I could easily have chased him down on foot.

Yet what was I going to do, bash him for $26 ? Yeah, right. Realising my lack of options in the deserted neighbourhood I gave up and headed home, resigned to my loss. I’ll leave the retribution to the next driver he rips off, who may well carry a weapon.

Comments

[city/country cabbie]

adrian your to easy on runners,i had one on new years morning well 3 of them ,they jumped in and said where they were going a $80 fare,i said show me the money first which one of them did.When we got to the destination out they jump and off they go so i gave chase to the last one away,though a house yard to a back fence where he jumps over,as he does this the fence breaks sending my runner face first onto a concrete driveway.After checking to see he's not dead(he was in a daze with his nose flattened across his face)i asked for the fare to which he replyed f&*k off and got up and ran off.I thought write it off and headed back to the cab where a person driving behind had seen the whole thing and stopped to look after my taxi.End of story is a few days later i saw this fine young gentleman walking down the street with 2 black eyes and a very swollen nose,and that news years day shift ended up being the best day shift i have had as far as money earned.ONE WORD KARMA!!!!!

[Anthony]

It's hard to believe that someone in their 30s with a job would go through the hassle of doing a runner. But I guess it happens...

[Carl]

There are time in all our lives when $30 means a fair bit. It might just be buying the a case of eer on te eay home or a present to some one close to smooth over a whole lotta shit. It happens! Glad to hear you dont get bent out of shape about it.

I swear i read you were giving the blog away Adrian. was I dreaming (nightmare) or are yo back! Archives suggest you never left. Fuckk I;m pissed!

[Angel]

A coupla years back I would have said that I would never have believed that people would just run off without paying their fare, but since being in England I've realised it happens more often than I ever thought possible. Its a real shame!!

[pat]

Your passenger deserved an absolute flogging just for calling you "dude".

From my experience it is always wise to be suspicious of anyone using "dude" or "champion". They mean it as your passenger used it, in other words, "F#ck you".

[AG Canberra]

Working in IT - doing a runner might have been the only thrill he gets all week!

One day he will get caught - or like a bloke from work, run over as he sprints from the taxi!