flight time

I had my first runaway fare today. Most other drivers have had them. What made mine different is I had the time and inclination to pursue the police option. The party had me pick them up at a Lexington Hotel and take them to get their car at AAMCo. It was closed so they said they needed to go to Georgetown. They did not seem to care about the shorter milage route, and acted as though the expense did not matter.

Thinking back, of course it did not matter. They did not plan on paying for it. These people did not realize I am a proud owner of the Hardy Boys Detective Handbook, and read it religiously. I remembered their room at the hotel. But back to the trip.

On the way they started bad mouthing the police. I muttered in tacit commiseration so they definately felt I disliked the police as well. All I really said was I did not like the current ad campaign by the highway patrol: "Bluelights over the Bluegrass". So they have me pull up to a house, but out of view of the back yard. They said something about hoping his mother's house was unlocked in the back, and quickly dissapeared around the house. I noticed someone peaking out through the blinds, and shortly thereafter a dominos pizza car came up. A teen ager answered the door. I then went up and knocked as well. I explained to the kid that I had dropped some people off and they were going to go in the back, he said they lived behind him.

I then simply went around the block parked in front of the house. Shortly thereafter a grey-haired woman came to the door and I walked up. I explained I dropped a man and a girl off behind her house. Se said they came for some keys and they left. I then explained I was calling the police. This is where they should have made good on the $60 some dollars they owed me by now. The police came on short order. Three, as a matter of fact. Small time crime in a small town. They were familiar with the perpetrator quite well, so I think he is a habitual trouble-maker.

I made a point of telling the responding officer the passenger's disdain for the police. Counting on a little Mucho Bravado, I got the response I expected. "We'll see what we can do to catch them..." I then told him, that their reaction toward law enforcement had a lot to do with me filing the report.

The officers went up to the house and talked with the mother, but she would not let them in. They believe he's still in there. Chances are if he has any warrants out for his arrest, this may be all they need to apprehend him. On my way back from Georgetown the police called me again, and asked me where I picked them up. I gave them the motel and the room number. Thinking things through, chances are they skipped on their motel room too, and now, even if they registered under a fake name, the police know his true identity.

I may get some more satisfaction out of this, but I did it mostly out of the principle. My chance of recovering any money is minimal. But I know that theft such as this goes tot he county attorney's office it can mess you up.