Steff Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 You won't believe the end... EL PASO, Texas - Taxi driver Ismael Baeza's back seat passengers didn't appear to have any money and didn't seem to know exactly where they lived, but he didn't give up on getting them home. Baeza, 24, picked up an elderly couple Monday who wanted to go to their hometown in Bandera, west of San Antonio. "About halfway through the trip, I found out that they didn't have the money to pay for the trip," Baeza said in a report in Wednesday's El Paso Times. "It was either drop them off at the next town or keep going. Something told me to just keep going. I couldn't leave them off in one of those little towns." The trip took 10 hours and covered 500 miles from El Paso to Bandera and would have been a $1,200 fare for Baeza. Baeza's father, Sam, accompanied him and bought food and drinks for the couple along the way. "I just took them all the way into town and thought, well, it's not about the money anymore," Baeza said Tuesday. Bandera police believe the couple may have Alzheimer's disease (news - web sites) and aren't sure how they ended up in El Paso. Baeza said the couple told them they couldn't take a bus or plane home because of their parrot. Baeza said the parrot whistled all the way. Once they were in Bandera, Baeza said he asked the man where his home was and the man said it was four hours away. That's when Baeza asked for police help. They identified the couple and handed them off to sheriff's deputies, who got them to their home in Bandera County. "In my opinion, the man's a saint," Bandera police Sgt. Mark Burke said of Baeza. "In my job, I don't deal with many nice guys, but as far as I'm concerned, this guy walks on water." Baeza said the couple gave him several hundred dollars in traveler's checks. He wasn't sure Tuesday if they were any good. Police later discovered the woman had about $2,000 to $3,000 in her wallet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heads22 Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 I love when writers just throw stuff in there: "Baeza said the parrot whistled all the way." Damned if that parrot didn't whistle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 That is a l o o o o ng drive. Think they faked the Alzheimers for a free $1200 cab ride? 1/2 through the trip he found out they didn't have the money. Dude, before I passed the El Paso city limits, I'd of had 1/2 the money in my pocket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LosMediasBlancas Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 That is a l o o o o ng drive. Think they faked the Alzheimers for a free $1200 cab ride? 1/2 through the trip he found out they didn't have the money. Dude, before I passed the El Paso city limits, I'd of had 1/2 the money in my pocket. Not to mention, even if they had the money, is it worth the time and wear and tear on your cab?...... and you'd still need a fare BACK. At what point did he recruit Dad for the road trip? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Not to mention, even if they had the money, is it worth the time and wear and tear on your cab?...... and you'd still need a fare BACK. At what point did he recruit Dad for the road trip? As a person who took some late night cab rides from Schaumburg to Grayslake, I can assure you they add in the return trip. As I recall I paid $75 a few times. Which was a lot cheaper than being a guest of the county for a night. :puke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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