I TOLD HIM TO RELAX AND HAVE A GOOD DAY WITH HIS FAMILY AND NOT TO WORRY ABOUT HIS PHONE.
AJESH RAM DEO SHOWS THAT THERE ARE STILL MANY HONEST TAXI DRIVERS IN FIJI, GIVES BACK PHONE TO OWNER
Many people say taxi drivers are dishonest people but I hold my principles in very high regard.
He’s an honest taxi driver. Ajesh Ram Deo, 39, on a usual Saturday last week had dropped off his passenger at My Suva Picnic Park and had picked up another when he heard the phone vibrating in the backseat.
“I thought the vibrating phone belonged to the person I had picked up after my initial drop off,” Mr Deo said. His last passengers and the one in his vehicle then have been lone travellers and have sat in the front seat. “When I had dropped the passenger off in Sawani, the phone was still vibrating so I parked the car and checked the backseat.
“I found the phone and it was the owner calling. When I answered, he sounded very concerned and said he had a lot of important information on his phone and that was when I said to him: ‘Brother, you forgot your phone in the right taxi’.”
The passenger, Navi Rokodrega, who works in a printing company, had caught Mr Deo’s taxi earlier with his family to attend a prayer session. His mobile had slid out of his pocket when he disembarked from the taxi.
He panicked when he felt for his pocket to reach for his phone but could not find it. By then, the cab had gone off. The phone, a Samsung Galaxy J1, was a gift from his son living in Australia. Mr Deo said: “I told him to relax and have a good day with his family and not to worry about his phone.
“I did a few more jobs in the city before I drove to his location and returned the phone. He was so happy and insisted I accept $50 for my troubles, even when I kept refusing. “Many people say taxi drivers are dishonest people but I hold my principles in very high regard.
“I didn’t see the point in keeping the phone and there’s also a thing called karma that I firmly believe in. If I had taken the phone, somehow, I would be punished for it.”
Mr Rokodrega was full of praise for the driver, saying: “I wish all taxi drivers could be like him.”
I did a few more jobs in the city before I drove to his location and returned the phone. He was so happy and insisted I accept $50 for my troubles, even when I kept refusing. Many people say taxi drivers are dishonest people but I hold my principles in very high regard. I didn’t see the point in keeping the phone and there’s also a thing called karma that I firmly believe in. If I had taken the phone, somehow, I would be punished for it. Ajesh Ram Deo Taxi driver