7th June 2023 – (Hong Kong) Hong Kong woman took to social media today to share her experience of accidentally overpaying a taxi driver and being pleasantly surprised by his honesty. The woman posted in a Facebook group about her morning commute, stating that she was still half-asleep when she hailed a taxi to work. She ended up paying a total fare of HK$124, and handed over a folded stack of bills from her wallet to the driver, consisting of a HK$100 note and a HK$50 note.
The driver accepted the payment and gave her back HK$26 in change. As she was leaving the taxi, the driver stopped her and said, “This note is HK$1,000.” The woman was shocked to realise that she had mistakenly given the driver a HK$1,000 note instead of a HK$100 note. She quickly corrected her mistake, handing over the correct HK$100 note and giving the driver an additional HK$20 as a token of appreciation. The woman expressed her gratitude in the Facebook post, stating, “I took the wrong HK$1,000 taxi and I am very grateful. Good people will have peace in their lives. Warmly praise UR6XXX!”
Netizens were quick to respond to the woman’s post, praising the taxi driver’s honesty and calling him a “rare gem” in the taxi industry. Many commented that they had experienced similar situations where taxi drivers had refused to return their overpaid fares, and expressed their admiration for the driver’s integrity.
However, some netizens also offered some advice to the woman, reminding her to be more careful when handling her money and to avoid folding her bills together, as it can lead to confusion and mistakes. They suggested that she invest in a longer wallet to keep her bills organised and separated by denomination, in order to minimise the risk of giving the wrong amount to taxi drivers or other vendors.