San Francisco cab drivers are thieves that will steal your headphones

[muckrake]

I forgot my trusty old HD-580 in a taxi yesterday. No big deal, I figure--I'll just call the dispatcher and have them contact the driver so I could retrieve my headphones. I even had the vehicle number: 746 of Yellow Taxi.

The fatal assumption in that reasoning was my expectation that bay area taxi drivers are decent human beings.

The dispatcher said they sent out a message, but the driver never responded. I called multiple times and still nothing. He has not turned it into their lost and found either. The lout basically absconded.

Luckily, I have two witnesses who were in the taxi with me and saw me get in with the headphones and come out without. I intend to file a police report. Maybe if the cops call this human scum up, it will scare him enough to return them to me.

Every time I give people the benefit of the doubt, I end up being disappointed...

[Francec]

Are you saying ALL San Franciscan cabbies are thieves?
Are you sure you didn't drop them on the road when you got out? After all, why did not one of the "witnesses" point out your commission at the time?

[muckrake]

They pointed it out as the cabbie drove away.

I have nothing against SF; the sunshine is a great switch for me from the rains of Vancouver, the people are friendly (at least on the surface), and the women are easy. But my experience with taxi drivers here in general makes them rank with the worst of a dozen countries I've been to: they are rude, inconsiderate, unhelpful, and now I see lacking in ethics too. What are the chances I would have happened upon the only cabbie in the city that is a lowly thief? Not very likely, so I stand by my assessment.

Yellow Taxi HR needs to improve their screening.

[kevinkr]

You have no real evidence that the cabbie ran off with your headphones, it could also have been a subsequent passenger. I'd keep calling while you are there in SF, file a police report if it makes you feel better, but it is unlikely that they can do anything to help.

Any way you skin it, it is still a bummer..

Years ago I forgot my camera at an expensive Atlanta hotel, yes they found it, and no I did not get it back - it subsequently "disappeared." .. Travelers have to be extra vigilant..

PM me if you want to retitle this rather provocatively named thread..

[muckrake]

With two people in the back, I took the front seat, which is rare as the cabbie was keeping his junk on it and had to clear it out for me to get in. There is no way he wouldn't have noticed large circumaural headphones on the seat besides him.

I will threaten the company with letters to the editor, and not bluff either, in order to pressure a return of what's mine.

[vacuphile]

At least they are thieves that work for a living :-)

[muckrake]

Pray tell, how does that excuse such behavior? It's a complete non sequitur.

[kevinkr]

Originally Posted by muckrake

With two people in the back, I took the front seat, which is rare as the cabbie was keeping his junk on it and had to clear it out for me to get in. There is no way he wouldn't have noticed large circumaural headphones on the seat besides him.

<snip>

That does put a rather different light on the situation - you probably should have stated this upfront..

I would give the police a call, I assume they are responsible for the taxi medallions and if they aren't can tell you who is.

Letters to the editor aren't going to accomplish much, possibly posting to some of the online travel forums might at least get the message out to people who might benefit from the knowledge.

FWIW I've never thought of cabbies as a paragon of ethical behavior, you can't even really count on them taking the most direct route to your destination as they want to pad their fares. Sadly ethics seem to be outmoded in our modern world, even some of the Amish now seem to have forgotten that.

[vacuphile]

Originally Posted by muckrake

Pray tell, how does that excuse such behavior? It's a complete non sequitur.

It's about as much non sequitur as when you leave a pair of headphones in a cluttered cab (the driver had to clear the seat, didn't he, before you could sit) and not find them back, and subsequently conclude that "SF cab drivers are thieves that will steal your headphones".

[SY]

Originally Posted by muckrake

WThere is no way he wouldn't have noticed large circumaural headphones on the seat besides him.

Well, you apparently didn't.