Stolen cash returned after taxi driver robbed outside Gander bar
A taxi driver in Gander has his money back after a weekend robbery, but the theft has made him more cautious about who he lets in his cab late at night.
Guy Budden was on shift Saturday night, after a busy few weeks working extra hours to earn cash for his wife's upcoming back surgery.
Around 1 a.m. he was called to Park Place, where he waited several minutes before picking up two customers.
"It was two people dressed in black from head to toe, hoodies up over their face," he said. "You couldn't even make out their features."
The pair – which he said was a man and woman, both in their 20s – asked to go to Legends Lounge & Grill, which Budden found strange given it was just a short walk away.
Suspicious, but still giving them the benefit of the doubt, he pulled into the area behind the bar where they asked to be dropped off.
That's when Budden realized he should have trusted his gut instinct.
"I put on the brake and asked for the fare, and this is when he reached in the side pocket on the door and grabbed the wallet and out the door like in a split second," Budden told the Central Morning Show.
According to the RCMP, Budden's wallet was found on Tuesday near the location where it was stolen and turned into police, with money and all ID cards inside.
Needed for wife's surgery
It's good news for the driver as the cash that was taken was going toward the expense of travelling to St. John's for his wife's surgery on Wednesday.
Police are still investigating, but so far no arrests have been made.
Budden said there was a sign out behind the bar that said security cameras were in use, but he was told by bar staff that it was probably too dark at the time to make out anything on the footage.
From now on, Budden said he won't be letting anyone in his cab if they have a hood up.
He would also like to see more cabs equipped with barriers between the front and back seats, something common in big-city taxis.
"It's getting to the point where you need it here. Because it's at least one confrontation over the weekend — [that's what] you hear from the other guys."
