what do you do when you forget something in a taxi?
By winterose
@winterose (39887)
Canada
February 11, 2008 11:53am CST
Last night I was having a conversation with my friend who is a retired taxi driver,
he was talking about how people are very stingy with tips.
He told me about a time when he had a fare and the man forgot his umbrella in the cab.
the man called the dispatcher and the dispatcher called him on the radio to check and see if the umbrella was still in the car, it was, and so the dispatcher told him to go and deliver it to the man who was waiting for it.
My friend did, but he was upset the man didn't give him a tip,
here is why,
the man forgot the umbrella
my friend had to go deliver it,
my friend also risked losing a fare somewhere else to go deliver the umbrella, this was my friend's job, his livlihood, what put food on the table for his family.
He potentially loses a fare and he wastes his own gas to deliver a cheep umbrella.
Now on another occassion years ago I met a friend who came in from another city to have dinner with me. We took a taxi to the restaurant, but when it was time to pay my friend realized he had lost his wallet and I didn't have any money on me.
My friend figured out he must have left it in the taxi so he called the taxi, and the driver brought it back to him at the restaurant.
my friend paid the restaurant with his credit card but he tipped the taxi driver 20.00 from the cash he had in his wallet.
I asked him why so much and he answered, this is not a tip for finding my wallet, it is paying the fare the taxi driver lost for having to go out of his way to bring this back to me, he may have lost a fare of 5 dollars or a fare of 20 dollars I don't know but I want to make sure he is compensated for it.
What would you do if you forgot something in a taxi?
would you call in to retrieve it and would you tip the driver for bringing it back to you,
why or why not
2 people like this
8 responses
@aquajules4 (583)
•
11 Feb 08
I've lost things in a taxi before, but never bothered contacting the company to get it back as it was nothing worth worrying about and here in the UK rarely if you leave stuff places will you ever see it again.
But your friend was lucky to get their wallet back, anyone could have got in the taxi after your friend and kept it without telling the taxi driver.
I always tip the taxi, i'm always grateful for getting home in one piece. Plus i used to be a hairdresser and used to rely on my tips to boost my wages.
@skysuccess (8858)
• Singapore
12 Feb 08
I am quite surprised that the dispatcher actually asked the cabby to deliver that umbrella to the client without minding the fact that he may be quite a distance and/or that he is might have another passenger going further away where the owner of that lost property is.
Back here the cab company will work an alternative with the client. Start the meter wherever the cab maybe, to the destination provided the cabby is available and able to do so. This is to avoid any misunderstandings with the claimant of the lost property and the unpleasant misunderstanding for would be passengers (along the way) when they see an empty cab not stopping for a pick up.
In all, I felt that all involved should exercise a little common sense and tact.
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
13 Feb 08
remember this man is a tourist who lost his wallet he had no way of picking it up and he couldn't leave the restaurant without paying the bill and I had no money on me, the taxi cab had to do it or risk him taking the situation to the media for bad service.
@someonesmom (5761)
• Canada
11 Feb 08
You've brought up some very interesting points here. I'm sure I've left things in taxis over the years, but one in particular comes to mind. A couple of years ago, I took a taxi home from visiting my sister in law in the hospital. I came out of the hospital very distraught, and ended up leaving one of those insulated lunch kits in the cab. In this case, I didn't do anything, as I really didn't care that I'd left it there. It never even occurred to me, that I could get 'the taxi driver' to bring an item back to my home. I mean, if it's left there, it'd be my fault. I'd sure call the cab company if it was anything of value, and if they did offer to send it back, via the cab, then I'd give the best tip I could afford. I feel 'some' people will just take advantage of a situation like this, when it's really their fault.
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
12 Feb 08
yep like the cheep guy with the umbrella, that was so wrong to me,
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
18 Feb 08
Normally the taxi drivers here are quite honest (lol).
So if we lose something, we just report to the taxi company and they will do a match at the lost and found section.
If you provide enough details to trace that driver, chances are you will get it back if the driver picked it up. But if your things were picked up by other passengers... well, everything depends.
@princysherly (28)
• India
12 Feb 08
yeah thts actually bad.. they spend their petrol/gas jus to return our own property ,i have never missed my things yet in a taxi like how u've said... even i'll try to do the same if incase i forget ... it shows our concern to ppl..
1 person likes this
@chileman (967)
• Australia
12 Feb 08
You know I can't even remember the last time I caught a taxi! When I was younger and going out to pubs and clubs it was normal but in this day and age with public transport going nearly all night and cabs being so expensive I just give them a miss!
1 person likes this
@dutchess67 (917)
• United States
11 Feb 08
I love your question!
I used to drive a taxi myself and can say with absolute certainty that I would tip the driver as healthily as I possibly could for making the trip!
I've had every kind of horror story happen when I drove a taxi, so I completely understand where your friend is coming from. It's a damned hard way to make a living.
1 person likes this
@lexus54 (3572)
• Singapore
12 Feb 08
In my country, if a taxi passenger leaves something after taking a trip, and the taxi drivers locates the item, the driver will usually hold on to the item and hand it to the cab company when the shift is over and he has to hand over the taxi. Then the cab company will inform the passenger to collect the item from the office. In this way, the driver is not made to go all the way to the passenger's place to return the item. Of course, if the driver wishes to do a run (if he is around the area) to that location, he can choose to do so, and I am sure the passenger will be grateful. Usually, for items found and collected, passengers will usually give the taxi driver a little reward as a form of gratitude. Some also write in to the newspaper forum to publicly thank the driver for his civic-consciousness in helping the passenger get his item back.
1 person likes this
