Tipsy passenger who couldn’t pay fare is dumped 25 MILES in opposite direction from home by cabbie
Student Luke Philpott hailed a car to take him home at 3am after a night clubbing
A TIPSY taxi passenger claims he was "kidnapped" and dumped 25 miles from home by an angry cabbie when he couldn't pay his fare.
Student Luke Philpott, 25, hailed a car to take him from Shoreditch in east London to his digs in New Cross in the south at 3am after a night clubbing.
But on the journey, he realised he had lost his phone and wallet containing bank cards and cash - and couldn't pay the £35 fare.
So the black cab driver locked his doors and said he was driving to his home in Essex - and finally freed him after nearly an hour in Epping.
Miserable Luke - new in the capital from Malvern, Worcs - was forced to jump barriers and wait for the first Underground train back at dawn.
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He said: "When we arrived at my home I realised I'd lost everything. I explained to the driver but he didn't believe me.
"He said 'I've heard that a thousand times - if you are going to take the p*ss out of me, I am going to take the p*ss out of you, I'm going to take you really far now'.
"The cabbie said he lived in Essex and would be going home now so would be taking me there. We had quite an argument along the way but I was locked in and couldn't do anything other than voice my anger.
"I told him it was against the law and was technically kidnap or abduction. He said so was stealing and called me a thief.
"I even thought about jumping out the window. Finally, he pulled up on a random road and ordered me to get out. I think he found it amusing."
Luke found a hotel night porter to tell him where he was, and how to get home by train with two changes - so he took the risk without paying any fare.
He added: "I didn't get home until around 9am. It was crazy - like something off the Truman Show. I'll have to keep a few spare quid tucked away in my sock in future!"
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