The Weekly Cab Story Issue #5: Hit and Runner

Hit and run criminals are hard to catch. But a concious mind is all it takes to find that runner.

I am driving down a road toward a train station. I get a call for the station that is at that corner in front of me. So I do a three lane change to turn right. No one is on the road so I do it fast. I pull in and I see someone on the bridge running to the stairs.. No one else chasing him. So I park at the bottom and he runs to the cab..



"Hey are you busy?"

"What's your name?"

"J."



It matched so I let him in.



"Where are we going man?"

"I live on *********."

"So..... Apartments?"

"No the *****"

Oh right next to **** ****'* right?"

"Yeah."



He seemed calm and as I went over the bridge I told him the route. He liked it so I started driving..



At some point he turned off his phone. It kept ringing. After a few left and right turns he asked me:

"Where are we?"

"This is ******."

"Oh I live on ******."

"I know. We are almost there."



He kept fidgeting with something and making noise..

Soon enough we were at the *****. He directed me to the back and to the corner.



"Listen.... I left my money inside.... But I need to get another key card.... I can't find it. So... Here's my wallet... And my cell phone..."



So he extends his right arm in the shadows but I noticed he was bleeding in several areas on his arm.



I look back at him as I put my hand on his wallet. That look of disdain on my face.



"Why are you bleeding in my cab?"



He had a face of guilt on and said.

"Dude.. I don't even know how I got here.."

I am still looking at him because he has no bandages on his arm what so ever...

"I just broke my girlfriends window.... I'll be right back."



He leaves and I watch him go around the corner. After about a minute of thinking I open his wallet and I write down everything on his ID. I put everything back the way he left it and look at the corner for the number on the door.



I watch as his neighbor walks out and lights a cigarette. He finally returns and says.

"I need to go inside.... I'll be right back."



I watch him enter and walk back out. I wrote down the number real quick to make sure. He runs back out and opens the door. My pocket book is already in my pocket... I'm just that swift.



"Here's 40 man... I don't even care how much it is."

he throws the money in my face. I look at my meter and it was only 10 dollars. I let him take his wallet back and I leave.

As I left he started talking to his neighbor. I pull over near the bar down the street and phone it in. About an hour and a half later I get a call from dispatch asking me what happened.



But that is not the kicker. Back last month I was called into a ceremony for my actions... The story actually started like this:



J was at a restaurant and had an argument with his WIFE. He started showing aggression and slapped her. The manager kicked them out. His wife got in the car and locked the doors. J punched the window, punched his wife, and then started running. He got on the train and went south. Officers arrived 20 minutes later with an ambulance. Before officers could get an APB out a cab driver picked up J and started driving him home. Because this cab driver effectively talked with the passenger he got a confession out of him. J has been charged with third degree assault and domestic violence. Because his wife was shocked after impact we might not of found the suspect without his help.

I now have a letter of Commendation from the Police Station.