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At Big Green Cab Co, all of our cabs include a GPS receiver. (Admittedly, it's not one that drivers can use for navigation, but it's there.) This GPS receiver is connected to the terminal that communicates with the main computer systems at the yard. (I'm sure I've mentioned the terminals before; they're how the calls are dispatched to the fleet.)
So imagine my surprise when this message was broadcast to the fleet yesterday:
So... somebody "lost" their cab? Well... no.
That was yesterday at 2:20 pm. I'll let the rest of the messages speak for themselves. (Note that all spelling errors were in the original messages.)
About half an hour later, I was at the yard, and I stopped off at my old training supervisor's office to find out what was up. It turns out that the driver who took this cab out was not just "a late return". I've been late before, and they didn't send out fleet messages asking the other drivers to help find me, they just called me and said
No, this guy was 4 days overdue. He took the cab out on a 12-hour lease (the shortest one available) and kept it for half a week. All those messages up there? He could see them all, and I'm sure he was getting bombarded by messages saying "RETURN THE CAB, DAMMIT!" He finally abandoned the cab in the yard's guest parking lot, but kept the key and the modem that lets the terminal communicate with the yard.
Big Green Cab Co is not amused. The normal late fee (which they're charging him, oh yes!) is $20/hour, in 15-minute increments. Assuming he was exactly 4 days overdue, that's 4 x 24 x $20 = $1,920 in late fees. The lost key charge is another $50, the modem probably cost about that much, and I think it's safe to assume he didn't gas or wash the car, which will cost him anywhere from $20 to over $100, depending... so the guy is in the hole with the company for at least $2,000 -- and that's assuming there's no damage to the car, which will also get billed to him.
Hope it was worth it dude, because you are never driving for one of the big players in town ever again. (What, you think the office won't tell Yellow? Ha!)
(For those wondering, assuming 5 full days of actual driving (4 overdue plus the one he legitimately worked) he couldn't have brought in very much money. Probably $200-300 taken in the first day (before normal lease, normal fees, and normal expenses) and then veeeeeeery little after that, because they almost certainly suspended him, and when you're suspended, you can't receive calls of any kind. Get flagged down, sure, but those are exceptionally rare here, especially Sunday-Wednesday.)
Oh, and the lawyers are looking into what they can do to this guy. I say they should press theft charges, because even if they got the car back, it was still stolen for 4 days! (Not to mention the key and modem, but those are minor details.)
So imagine my surprise when this message was broadcast to the fleet yesterday:
Drivers keep your eye out
for missing cab 1499
Last area seen
(half a mile from my apartment!)
for missing cab 1499
Last area seen
(half a mile from my apartment!)
So... somebody "lost" their cab? Well... no.That was yesterday at 2:20 pm. I'll let the rest of the messages speak for themselves. (Note that all spelling errors were in the original messages.)
- 3:55 pm:(Casino AZ: Casino Arizona; IB is abbrev. for the street it's on.)All drivers - We are looking for cab 1499- He is a late return. He may have left the cab at Casino AZ IB - Notify us if you see it.
- today, 8:31 am:(They're offering money now!)All drivers - Pls look out for missing cab 1499 - If sited call dispatch - $50 reward
- 2:06 pm:Drivers keep your eye out for missing cab 1499 $50 reward if found
- 2:25 pm:(Metrocenter is one of our busy areas. It's also right down the road from my apartment.)All drivers - Cab 1499 is in the Metro Center Mall area. Call dispatch if you see him.
- 2:31 pm:(So, are they finally following him via GPS?)All drivers - Cab 1499 is driving around - Pls report but do not approach - Last see in the Metro Center parking lot
- 2:43 pm:(It's important to note that our yard is a mile and a half from this "may be".)All drivers - Cab 1499 may be in the 59th Ave & Camelback area. Pls keep looking and report.
- 3:00 pm:We found 1499 everyone thank you all for your help!
About half an hour later, I was at the yard, and I stopped off at my old training supervisor's office to find out what was up. It turns out that the driver who took this cab out was not just "a late return". I've been late before, and they didn't send out fleet messages asking the other drivers to help find me, they just called me and said
No, this guy was 4 days overdue. He took the cab out on a 12-hour lease (the shortest one available) and kept it for half a week. All those messages up there? He could see them all, and I'm sure he was getting bombarded by messages saying "RETURN THE CAB, DAMMIT!" He finally abandoned the cab in the yard's guest parking lot, but kept the key and the modem that lets the terminal communicate with the yard.
Big Green Cab Co is not amused. The normal late fee (which they're charging him, oh yes!) is $20/hour, in 15-minute increments. Assuming he was exactly 4 days overdue, that's 4 x 24 x $20 = $1,920 in late fees. The lost key charge is another $50, the modem probably cost about that much, and I think it's safe to assume he didn't gas or wash the car, which will cost him anywhere from $20 to over $100, depending... so the guy is in the hole with the company for at least $2,000 -- and that's assuming there's no damage to the car, which will also get billed to him.
Hope it was worth it dude, because you are never driving for one of the big players in town ever again. (What, you think the office won't tell Yellow? Ha!)
(For those wondering, assuming 5 full days of actual driving (4 overdue plus the one he legitimately worked) he couldn't have brought in very much money. Probably $200-300 taken in the first day (before normal lease, normal fees, and normal expenses) and then veeeeeeery little after that, because they almost certainly suspended him, and when you're suspended, you can't receive calls of any kind. Get flagged down, sure, but those are exceptionally rare here, especially Sunday-Wednesday.)
Oh, and the lawyers are looking into what they can do to this guy. I say they should press theft charges, because even if they got the car back, it was still stolen for 4 days! (Not to mention the key and modem, but those are minor details.)
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