Philly Taxi Driver Gets Surprise $1,000 Tip

A one-minute, three-second taxi ride earned one Philly cabbie a gigantic tip this holiday season.

It happened on Dec. 13, when Freedom Taxi driver Oumar Maiga was shocked to receive a $989.98 tip—22,970 percent—after a cab ride that lasted less than a mile, the company said in a Facebook post Wednesday.

Maiga was working the late shift when a rider flagged down his taxi around 1:15 a.m at 2nd and Market Streets. According to the taxi company, the man asked how he was doing. “Mr. Maiga responded that things were okay but the night was a little hectic.”

About a minute later, Maiga received a holiday surprise—the $989.98 tip on a $4.31 fare. Maiga repeatedly asked the man if he realized how much he had tipped and why.

“The mystery rider told Mr. Maiga that he appreciated how professional he and his cab were and that he wanted to give him the enormous tip before wishing him a good night,” the Facebook post said.

Freedom Taxi cofounder Everett M. Abitbol told the Philadelphia Inquirer the good fortune “couldn’t have happened to a better guy.” He told the publication Maiga is a hardworking employee who sometimes drives seven days a week.

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