It had to happen one day....

A few posts back I mentioned the taxi scam.  This was described to me when I first arrived at the airport and has been repeated a number of times as other people have been caught out by it.  How does it work?  You will be the last person picked up by a taxi and once you are have settled in the driver will say that your door isn’t shut properly.  At this point the unsuspecting customer will turn to check the door.  At this point your bag will move towards the person sitting next to you and they will quickly open it and take what they can.  When you turn back you know nothing.  The taxi driver will then query where you are going and say they aren’t going that way anymore and you are let out of the taxi not knowing you may have no money or phone.

This is how it is described and that is what happened to me on Friday apart from the fact I was wise to them and didn’t do as was expected.  It was quite amazing how copy book it was.  I was nipping down to the tailor at lunchtime to pick something up so only a short journey from the office.  I noticed that it was a cab full of men that picked me up and registered it may be dodgy.  A strategy I employ when getting into any cab is to make sure I close the door securely so I can have no doubt that it is safely shut.  Boy was I glad of that today as 3 minutes into the journey the driver turned round and said “Your door’s not closed”.  Forewarned is forearmed so I looked straight at him and in a pretty forth right manner said “it’s fine” not moving at all or taking my hand from my bag.  A minute later, surprise, surprise he decided he wasn’t going to NPA after all.  At this point I told him to let me out where we were without paying him any fare.  On leaving I made sure to tell them that I knew what their game was and “nice try!”

Adrenalin pumping, I then walked the rest of the journey safe in the knowledge that I managed to handle that situation and reminding myself to trust my instincts before getting in a cab next time.  That said this is a minority all the other drivers I’ve had have been perfectly safe and happy to listen to my imperfect Krio.