Left the house this morning, covered a 9.45am booking from Calow into town. £7.50
11.00am took a fare to Calow. £6.00
12.00am took a fare to Newbold. £4.00
1.00pm took a fare to Brim. He got out the car and told me he's fetching the money from his Nana.
5 minutes later, nana comes out the house banging on about her grandson's got no money for the taxi, neither has she.
I'm a pensioner you know, I've got no money, I wish he'd stop doing this to me !
I drove off in disgust. Wasn't nana's fault she's got a waste of space as a grandson.
Our_Lass talked me into phoning the police about it. So I did.
They advised I drive back there and ask for the money. If he refuses point blank to pay, phone us back and we'll send an officer round. Or, arrange a time and date for payment. If he doesn't pay as agreed, phone us and we'll send an officer round.
I went back, I saw the lad, and a mate, run back into her house. Nana came walking down the path with a tenner in her hand crying. Please take £4 out of this, it's all I have, I need the rest for the lecky. He'll be the death of me. If you come back next week, I'll have the other £2 for you. I gave her the £6 change, yet I felt guilty, and told her this wasn't her problem. It's his problem. She replied, he does it all the time to me.
She actually put her arms round me and kissed me on the cheek and thanked me for being 'nice about it'
Lord knows what other drivers have said or threatened her with over non payment !
The police phoned me back about an hour later, how did you get on ?
I told the tale, the lady on the phone said, and here's the good bit.
You should have took a photo of him and shared it with other taxi drivers, it's wrong isn't it. WHAT !!
So I sat in town for another 2 and a half hours, then did the return on the job to Calow at 4.00pm and went home.
The rest is history.
On a plus side, all this stress whilst wearing my heart monitor, I've been fine
Bad day, nah, hows your's been