Taxi Driver Online

'A taxi driver tried to charge me £50 to return my lost phone - even though he was in the next street'

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/news ... e-15952865

Bronte Howard was left flabbergasted a the sheer audacity of the driver


Image: Wales Online

We've all done it. You get out of the taxi in a rush and then realise you've left your phone on the back seat.

This happened to me last night. I got a black cab from Castle Street in Cardiff city centre to Roath shortly after 10pm and left my phone behind.

I wasn't too worried because with today's technology that lets you track your phone I assumed it would be pretty easy to get back.

I’m also annoyingly forgetful, so it isn’t the first time I’ve left it somewhere.

I logged onto Android's find my phone website and could see it moving around Cardiff. I called it from my friend's phone and managed to get through to the taxi driver who had dropped me off.

I could see on Google Maps that he was only a couple of minutes away so I asked if there was any way I could get it back.

He said he could drop it off, but he wanted £10. I thought this sounded a bit dodgy, but paying a tenner to get my phone back seemed like the easiest thing to do, so I said agreed.

But then he upped the price said he wanted £50 and said it was because he was far away. He wasn't, he was on the next street.

When I told him I could see that he was nearby he got defensive and was questioning how I knew where he was and said he was going to take it to the police station. He then hung up and turned off my phone.

Not only was I frustrated with myself that I'd left it in the taxi but I was angry at the taxi driver who thinks it's okay to exploit forgetful people.

I understand to an extent why they would charge a fee (the petrol cost and the time it takes away from other jobs) but £10 was higher than the fare I paid to get home.

And £50 is just outrageous.

This must happen every day. Countless people will leave their phones, keys or handbags in the back of taxis, especially on Saturday nights.

And a lot of people will pay because it's the least time-consuming way to get it back.

But not only did he try to charge me but he lied about where he was then upped his price, probably because he knew I was eager to get it back.

It's wrong for taxi drivers to charge for the return of lost property, they have a duty to hand in all items found in their cars to the police station.

It's also probably against Cardiff Council's rules (who provide the licence) and most taxi companies.

Eventually he did the right thing by taking it to the police station - but after trying to get some cash out of it.

Maybe if there was a £50 return fee then punters would be less likely to keep on losing them.

But the driver was trying it on, and maybe, just maybe, he was a little gutted he didn't have time to take the sim out and bang it out on ebay.

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IDFIMH

I once drove 15 miles to return one and didn't get a penny for my troubles

but once got given £20 by a grateful owner

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

I drop them in the office now.