A South Florida cab driver was tricked into making a 20-hour trip from Miami, Florida to Western Tennessee over the weekend. And he ended up getting stiffed, not getting a penny for his efforts, according to CBS4’s Stephen Stock.From 7:00 at night until 4:30 in the morning, 6 days a week, for 29 years, Jean Desir has driven a taxi on the streets of Miami.
Despite two Robberies, one at gunpoint, and countless riders who’ve stiffed him on fares, this past year has been toughest of all economically.
“This year has been really really hard,” the 54 year-old said, “really hard.”
That’s what makes the story of Desir’s fellow taxi-driver so tough to swallow this holiday season.
Police say Miami resident Luciolo Perez convinced a cabbie from Flamingo Taxis to drive him to Memphis, Tennessee. That’s a 20-hour cab ride to the middle of the country.Then police say Perez stiffed the driver of $3,000 in cab fare, plus expenses such as gas and meals, which the cabbie paid with his own credit card.
CBS4 spoke by phone with the cab driver, who drove his taxi halfway across the country and back.
His name is Lelis Almeira.
Almeira refused CBS4‘s request for an on-camera interview, saying he was tired, frustrated and angry and “I just want to put this incident behind me.”
Now, in addition to trying to find $3,000 in cab fare, Perez must find enough money to bond out of jail on his Grand Theft charge.
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