NYC cabbie returns bag of diamond rings

[Ban Hammer 14,279]

NEW YORK - Never mind diamonds- a New York cabbie was a Texas girl's best friend. The driver returned 31 diamond rings he found in his cab after dropping off the passenger, who had left him with a 30-cent tip on a $10.70 fare.

"All my life, I tried to be honest," said Osman Chowdhury, a native of Bangladesh. "Today is no different."

But the 41-year-old cabbie from Queens did have a message: "I'm proud of what I did so that people know New York taxi drivers are honest."

What he did started on Monday evening, when he picked up the woman at a hotel in midtown Manhattan and drove her to an apartment building several blocks away. She gave him $20 to pay the fare and asked for $9 back.

Hours later, at about 10 p.m., three other passengers with luggage discovered the woman's suitcase when Chowdhury popped the trunk open for them.

Chowdhury first drove to the building where he had dropped off the woman. But he had no idea in which of the many apartments she might be and didn't want to cause a disruption by knocking on doors.

He took the suitcase to the Manhattan headquarters of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, a drivers' advocacy group to which he belongs. He and the alliance president looked inside and found two display cases with 31 diamond rings inside.

"I saw flashing, and I said, 'Oh my God! Diamonds!'" Chowdhury recalled. "I was shocked. I was trembling."

They also found a small luggage tag with a Texas telephone number they called — the home of the woman's mother in Dallas. Meanwhile, she called the number, too.

The woman, who said she was a jeweler, got back the gems on Monday when she arrived at the alliance office around midnight — incredulous at her luck. She offered Chowdhury a reward — a check for $100.

"I cannot take a penny for being honest," he said, but he reluctantly accepted the money to cover the fares he lost while trying to track her down.

He said it never occurred to him to keep the diamonds.

"I'm not going to take someone else's money or property to make me rich. I don't want it that way," said the soft-spoken cabbie, who was a contractor in Bangladesh until he came to the United States 15 years ago.

He does not own a cab but rents one.

"I enjoy my life. I'm satisfied," said Chowdhury, who is single.

He didn't even mind the meager tip.

"I think some people might be broke," he said. "Or they're distracted."

The woman from Dallas asked that her name not be made public.

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dang that woman was cheap, a $100 tip.

[Fandango 1,440]

the woman is a cheap CF

[Mags 112]

*agrees* But the richer you are, the tighter you become....

[Lurker 0]

In all honesty...I would have kept the loot.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

a $ 0.30 tip and a $100 reward? cheap b!tch

[almaty 19]

cheap chopf##k..

[Mary Lou 682]

cheap chopf##k..

Agreed

[ELW 5]

*agrees* But the richer you are, the tighter you become....

It's true. I've seen it all my life.

[Thingee 0]

Small wonder she didn't want her name revealed huh. I suspect he'll get something out of the media coverage, as he should. Nice to know there are still honest people.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

One of the rings was probably worth more than $100.30.

[eap620 0]

Ok...I know we've already established that this woman is possibly as stingy as you can get but I feel the need to have it said again....WHAT A CHEAP B!TCH!!!!! How dare her not reward that man with a bit more gratitude. Sounds to me like he saved her ####### from a whole lot of trouble. Even though he said he didn't want any money, the gesture would have been nice. I'm ashamed she's from Texas

[Caladan 19]

I don't want to defend someone who gave a $0.30 tip, but being jeweler doesn't mean that the diamonds are yours, and that you are therefore wealthy. (Especially if you leave your wares in taxi cabs.)

[bebop + rocksteady 0]

Wow, I mean, you think about percentages....you'd think at LEAST a 10% reward for returning the misplaced goods. Unless those 31 diamond rings were $322 each (and .125 carats) then the cabbie was jipped!

Cass (bebop the great)

[mRx 16]

what a stand-up guy. Those are a dying breed.

[Ban Hammer 14,279]

Ok...I know we've already established that this woman is possibly as stingy as you can get but I feel the need to have it said again....WHAT A CHEAP B!TCH!!!!! How dare her not reward that man with a bit more gratitude. Sounds to me like he saved her ####### from a whole lot of trouble. Even though he said he didn't want any money, the gesture would have been nice. I'm ashamed she's from Texas

ditto