Taxi Driver Online

FARE'S FAIR FOR CABBIE

A taxi passenger has taken a ride from Aberdeen to Milton Keynes at a cost of £780 - making the driver's day.

Cabbie Stephen Baxter said he initially thought the request was a "wind-up".

Mr Baxter, 40, was ending his Sunday evening shift at Aberdeen Airport when his control room called to say someone had asked to be taken to the south-east of England.

Customer Mark Bennett had just been made redundant and wanted to return to his Buckinghamshire home so he could start his search for a new job - and he was willing to pay £780 for the trip.

"A couple of other drivers refused and I thought it was a wind-up,"explained Mr Baxter, of Aberdeen. "But I've just had a large bill for a clutch repair so I thought it'd be a nice earner."

The pair, joined by Mr Bennett's German Shepherd, Sasha, made several stops and passed the time listening to Elvis Presley CDs.

"I think the dog liked them though because it was very well behaved throughout the journey," said Mr Baxter.

"I've never had a journey that long before. I once took a fare up to Thurso in Caithness, but that was only 300 miles. I don't know if I'd go as far as the south of England again. I certainly wouldn't do it during the day."

But married-dad-of-two Mr Baxter wasn't complaining. He stayed at relatives of his wife before embarking on the long trip north. "It worked out well for me in the end, even with the cost of fuel," he added.

Very nice indeed.

I see that when he got a London cabbie to take him back, the £780 got him as far as Birmingham.

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IDFIMH

There was one last year from Aberdeen who went to Southampton I think it was in PHM.

So this driver was at the end of his evening shift and then goes on a long haul drive down south? cant be safe surely???

all you need then would be for the fare to do a runner at the other end!

I think he had the brains to ask for money up front

The time that he must have been driving, was I suspect far too long.

As for the runner, well maybe he could have left the dog as deposite. But I suppose that might have done the geezer a favour as well.

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IDFIMH