iPhone bonus

When iPhones started appearing in the cab I was somewhat ambivalent about the device. If it wasn’t the annoying keypad clicking-in fact, they only have a virtual keyboard so the noisy contact is just for show-it was the high-speed access to Google Maps, allowing savvy passengers to monitor my navigation choices.

However since then I’ve come to believe that iPhone users may be the most generous of all mobile phone owners. Or, at least, so relieved are they to recover their lost phones that the recompense is outstanding.

When returning lost phones to their owners I start the meter from wherever and charge for the home delivery, usually around twenty bucks. Otherwise it will be dropped at the networks lost property office.

Yet two recent iPhone deliveries earned me much more than the average charge.

One fella travelling to Cronulla late at night left the phone on the back floor. It wasn’t until next day that I located the incessant ringing and made arrangements for its return.

After it was recovered from lost property, the owner sent me a $100 dinner voucher for a swish beachfront restaurant. Bonus!

Then yesterday afternoon I made my second iPhone return to a young woman in the Eastern Suburbs. As this was my first job on the shift I couldn’t change her fifty dollar note for the $20 fare. When I offered to change it at a nearby shop she graciously decided it was mine to keep. What a star.

Another iPhone bonus. Sweet.

Comments

[Nick Matyas]

Very good posting. I just love it.
Good luck man with your work. :)

http://webroyalty.com

[Juffy]

"allowing savvy passengers to monitor my navigation choices."

Ouch. I'd never considered that people might use them to second-guess their driver - that must be fun for you...

[PQ]

Probably something to do with Google and word recognition, but I was intrigued to note that the ad on your sidebar was for an iPhone!

iPhones are a great invention, but they cost an arm and a leg to both buy and operate, so I am not surprised that people who lose them are happy top see their toy returned at a fraction of the cost of replacement.

Good deal all around.

[Miles]

I've used it to monitor my driver a few times... and for good reason! I've seen some incredibly dodgy routes being taken in Melbourne, not sure if they're trying to ring up the fare as high as possible, or they're just using a busted GPS themselves...

[D.Wilson]

We recently tipped $50 for a cab-iPhone-return.... small price to pay when you consider the replacement cost up around $700 (especially if you're locked into an iphone-specific contract and can't just buy a cheapy to replace it!)

[marko]

Seriously? You start your shift without any change?

[adrian]

D. Wilson, an iPhone-specific would definitely explain the situation.
Marko, whilst I start with a float of small notes it's pointless losing them for a 50, if avoidable, until a buffer of notes have been accrued.

[Matt]

I have used my phone to monitor where a cabbie was driving me.

Mainly because they really didn't seem to have any idea where they were going and I needed it to let them know which turns to take.

Why he wouldn't use his own gps I have no bloody idea, really not sure what the point is of having one if you aren't prepared to use it.