A taxi driver from Elbląg (warmińsko-mazurskie voivodeship) will explain himself to the court for theft. He paid for groceries and fuel with a customer’s ATM card found in the car. The driver explained that he did it because the drunk passenger did not pay for the trip earlier. The latter will also appear in court.
The police from Braniewo informed on Thursday about an unusual, 30-kilometre taxi ride from Elbląg to Frombork. After the end of the ride, the taxi driver could not communicate with the completely drunk passenger, and at the address he arrived at, he found no one who could help him. Therefore, the driver decided to go to Braniewo, another 10 km away, and asked the policemen for help.
“A taxi driver came to the riot police with a request to intervene against an intoxicated client who was unable to pay for the service” – informed the Braniewo police in a message. It was added that the client was so drunk that it was impossible to communicate with him, so the policemen brought the 42-year-old resident of Frombork to the police station to sober up there.
“The aggrieved taxi driver was ordered by the police to report to the police station for a fraud offense committed to his detriment,” the police added. Fraud is the offense of fraudulently swindling a taxi, bus or train ride by someone who has no intention of paying for the service.
The taxi driver complied with the officers’ instructions and made such a notification.
A burglary charge
When the taxi driver was cleaning the car after the unlucky course, he found documents, PLN 250 and the client’s payment cards. The taxi driver decided to compensate for the loss himself and with the drunk passenger card he paid for shopping in the store and bought fuel. He spent a total of about PLN 170. The taxi driver made the payments while his drunk passenger was “recovering” at the police station in Braniewo. The sober man noticed the lack of documents and cards, so the police quickly determined that the taxi driver was using them.
The taxi driver was charged with burglaryShutterstock
“And so, in a short time, the victim became the perpetrator of the crime” – the police said and added in a message that the taxi driver was charged with burglary, to which he admitted.
“The taxi driver explained his behavior by the fact that after the failed trip he had no money to return home or to make small purchases for the next day” – added the police.
Main photo source: Shutterstock