Taxi driver returns $5000 British tourist forgot in cab

AMMAN — Jordanian taxi driver Ahmad Melhem has returned lost belongings, including some $5,000, to a British tourist who forgot them in his taxi.

The passenger, who took the cab from Queen Alia International Airport to Amman, left the money and some documents in the taxi, Melhem told The Jordan Times. 

The driver added that he reported the missing items to his manager as soon as he saw them.

"The man called the airport taxi's number and within an hour-and-a-half he was at the airport to retrieve his belongings," the 28-year-old driver said, adding that his behaviour is the normal practice among his colleagues serving airport passengers and other customers.

"My morals would not not allow me to keep money that is not mine," he said over the phone Tuesday, commenting on the incident, which, he said, took place two weeks ago.

"A tourist’s first experience of a country is generally the one he or she has with their taxi driver; therefore, drivers must be a living example of the true values of the country," he told The Jordan Times.

With 184 airport taxis working around-the-clock, lost belongings are a common occurrence for taxi drivers, with the "vast majority" returning lost items to their owners, said Jamal Khatib, a manager at the taxi company. 

Khatib explained that the majority of airport taxi drivers are retired military men who enjoy high ethics and commitment, adding that the airport taxi project operates under Economic and Social Association of Retired Servicemen and Veterans.

"There have been cases when thousands of dinars, as well as expensive belongings such as laptops and modern mobile phones were returned," he said. He also pointed out that in cases of loss of official documents or unclaimed items, the taxi office reports to police

Commenting on the issue, Ahmad Abu Haidar, president of the Transport Services and Taxi Owners Union, said the move presents a "beautiful image" of what Jordanians are like to tourists.