Gothamist: Big Yellow Taxi, Big Void of Lost Items

annkamkam

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:49:30 -0500

My whole family came back from a cruise vaction and took a cab home from JFK. After we got home we realize that we left a bag with our camera in the cab. The camera has all our vacation photos in it. We called NYC taxi. They asked us for the receive. We don't have the receive because the driver told us that the recieve is for him to keep. Without the receive they couldn't locate the driver. So they gave us a police precinct phone number. We called, what we get is another number to call. Then a new number to call. Now I have 18 phone number infront of me to call. But none of them have my bag. Does anyone know how can I get my bag and my camera back. The vacation pictures are very valuable to us. Thank you.

guest

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 09:25:43 -0500

Yea you can tell the cabbies to not fall asleep at the wheel. That would be nice too. Im not very social and dont enjoy talking just to keep my driver awake. Red lights seem to be a famed spot to snatch a wink.

Toby von Meistersinger

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 18:19:39 -0500

I always get a receipt when I am in a taxi, just in case I loose something. Now the problem with the survey is that it was a very limited sample done by a few people and obviously done for political gain. As for the LIRR lost and found, I once had a 35 mm camera fall out of my bag on the LIRR and they found it. When I got the roll of film developed, there was a photo of some LIRR back office on it.

Peter

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 13:13:04 -0500

A couple of years ago I had a most amusing encounter with the LIRR's lost and found department at Penn Station after having lost an electronic workplace door card. After I decribed the nature of the lost item, the clerk handed me a shoebox chock-full of credit cards, ID badges, driver's licenses and even a couple passports. He then went into some back office, leaving me alone at the window for several minutes with this potential treasure-trove of lost documents. Absolutely nothing prevented me from grabbing a handful of documents and disappearing. Heck, I could have absconded with the whole box. While no doubt most of the credit cards had been cancelled, some might've been valid, and the nearby ticket vending machines offered a safe way of checking them.

Jen Chung

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 13:03:23 -0500

Exactly, #6. We've kept closed comments for all interviews for the past, oh, 2-3 years, more or less, because commenters can be mean (no way!). We're actually going to turn on comments for the interview today because of popular demand, but if they go out of control, we're shutting it down. And now, back on topic, please: Also, a friend of mine left her cell in the cab, and when she called it, she was able to get in touch with the cabbie who brought it back to her. She gave him a tip AND then asked him to take her to the airport, so it was win-win. And I guess you don't need a receipt if you know the medallion number - it helps to give them locations of pick-up and drop-off and approximate times.

guest

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 12:55:59 -0500

Is Gothamist a Scientology front website? And no ability to comment?? Hey Jake Dobkin and Jen Chung, say hello to Xenu for me, will ya?

Outter Burrougher

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 12:55:35 -0500

I'm intrigued by the fact that people are just now realizing that Gothamist NEVER allows comments on interviews. This is not specific to Scientology.

guest

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 12:50:27 -0500

No comments allowed on the Scientology story? Buh bye Gothamist. You've lost a fan.

guest

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 12:42:32 -0500

#3 beat me to it. And where are the questions about aliens?

guest

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 12:40:21 -0500

You've got to be kidding me. You're now doing an add, I mean interview for Scientology? With no ability for guests to comment? I guess this is your way of "balancing" that post from the other day about the nutty cult doing stress tests in the subway, right? They got to you, right? Please don't feel you have to give these avaricious whackos free advertising just because they threaten you.

Alex

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 12:26:27 -0500

I left my cell phone in a cab once, luckily the next person to get in just took it into his own hands. He called my mom, she got a hold of me, and we met up. I'm glad he didn't give it to the cabbie; he didn't understand a word of english and I wouldn't want to deal with this crappy system.

guest

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 12:26:00 -0500

Do you need a receipt or do you just need to know the medallion number from memory?