Girl evades taxi fare by leaving behind bag full of rubbish

SINGAPORE - High taxi rental, long hours at the wheel and sometimes the odd fare evasion to boot, doesn't make life easier for taxi drivers.

Least of all not for one driver, who wants to be known as Danny. He told citizen journalist website Stomp that a female passenger whom he picked up along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 on April 23, failed to pay her fare.

According to Danny, upon reaching the destination, Block 459 Yishun Avenue 11, the passenger claimed that she needed to retrieve money "from upstairs".

The fare was $11.50.

Danny said that he then requested she leave her particulars or handphone number as he was afraid that she might make a run for it.

While she refused, she consented to leave her small bag in the car.

That was the last Danny saw of her.

When the passenger failed to return after 20 minutes, Danny inspected her bag.

He told Stomp: "I took a closer look at the bag and found that it was a broken bag with rubbish in it. There was also a crushed ATM transaction slip from Republic Polytechnic inside."

He has since filed a police report.

debwong@sph.com.sg