Woman Who Drives a Taxi to Raise Money for Dad’s Surgery Finds a Black Bag in the Back Seat — Story of the Day

A taxi driver returns home after a horrific shift and finds a black bag in the back seat of her car. What she discovers inside it prompts her to dial the cops right away.

42-year-old Linda Brooks had never pictured herself driving a taxi for a living, but her circumstances forced her in a way that she didn't have a choice.

Her mother, Cynthia, had passed years ago due to cancer when she was still a teen, and her father Jacob had injured his leg in an accident that necessitated an expensive surgery in a private hospital in Germany.

Unfortunately, Linda didn't have enough money, so she had to take the only job she could find and she became a taxi driver. Jacob wasn't entirely pleased with her decision to become a driver, but she said, "I want to see you back on your feet, papa! And trust me, I would do anything for that!"

However, one evening changed everything…

Linda became a taxi driver to raise money for Jacob's surgery. | Source: Shutterstock

"Good evening, sir," she greeted her last customer of the day as he settled in the back seat. "I'm Linda, and I'm happy to assist you today."

One notable thing about Linda was that no matter how exhausted she was after her journeys to various parts of the city, she always welcomed her customers with a bright grin, which made some passengers feel friendly towards her, and they frequently ended up revealing too much about their lives to her. However, this passenger was different…

"Yeah, okay," he said sternly, engrossed in his phone. "Take me to this address," he mentioned some address in downtown Manhattan, and Linda got a little terrified. She was fully aware of the area's reputation as a hotbed for criminal activity.

But if she refused to take this customer, her firm would reduce her salary, which she couldn't afford because she needed to pay for her father's surgery. So she had to give him a ride.

"All right, sir," she said, forcing a grin on her lips as she entered the address into Google Maps. The map said it would be a 20-minute journey, but Linda felt like it would take an eternity.

Linda was suspicious of her last customer. | Source: Pexels

During the ride, she kept checking the rearview mirror at frequent intervals to keep an eye on the dubious passenger, thinking that if she noticed him doing anything strange, she would instantly stop the car and contact 911.

However, the ride went smoothly, and the passenger silently got out of the car and walked away. Linda exhaled a sigh of relief and drove away as fast as possible to get home.

While parking her car in her garage, she discovered something in the backseat. It first seemed to be a black cloth, blended in with the black seat, which is why she didn't notice it at first. But when she started taking it out, she discovered it was a bag buried inside, in the gap between the upper and lower parts of the seat.

She took it out of the gap and opened it out of curiosity to examine what was inside because it appeared a little heavy and rattled when shook. As she opened the zipper, her eyes widened in surprise. There were jewels of all kinds — gold and diamond and several gold coins.

"Holy Jesus!!" Linda couldn't stop staring at them, and for one moment, she thought that she could get Jacob treated easily if she kept them. But her conscience told her otherwise, and she had a strange feeling something wasn't quite right.

Linda found a black bag. | Source: Pexels

She remembered she had thoroughly checked the car's interiors before preparing for the last journey of the day, and there was nothing of the type in the backseat. That meant it had been abandoned by the previous customer - the suspicious one. So Linda immediately dialed Officer Andreson, who was a close friend of hers.

"What?" Officer Anderson was shocked when Linda told him about the finding. "Can you describe how the man looked?"

"Yes, Daniel. He was around 6 feet, had no glasses, blonde hair, and a mole on his right cheek. Also, he was kinda limping while walking…I don't know why I did not notice him leaving the bag. Maybe it sank under his weight."

"Oh, Linda! You just gave a thief a ride! He stole those things from an antique shop this morning! We verified the shop's surveillance footage and we're certain it's him! Where did you drop him?"

Linda told him the address, and officer Anderson asked her to report to the station right away. "I'm guessing he was about to make a deal with someone there. He might notice he's left his belongings in your car, so I'd propose you drop it off to us before he gets to you. I'm hoping that won't be an issue."

Linda called officer Anderson for help. | Source: Pexels

"Of course, Daniel. I'll be right there."

Half an hour later, Linda was at the police station with the black bag containing all the jewels. When the antique shop owner saw it, he couldn't stop thanking Linda. "Thank you so much, ma'am. I owe you one! These are worth thousands of dollars! I'm so glad you alerted the police us as soon as you found them."

"No problem, sir. I'm happy that you got it back! I'll take a leave now. Good night, Daniel."

"Good night, Linda. And thank you once again!"

Linda returned his smile and drove back home. The next morning, though, she was awoken by her doorbell. When she answered it, she saw the antique shop owner there.

"I apologize for bothering you so early this morning, Miss Brooks. I got your address from the officers and wanted to thank you personally. The thief was apprehended by cops early this morning."

"Ah, yes, I see. Please come in. Would you like a cup of tea?"

The antique dealer paid her a visit. | Source: Pexels

"Oh no, I'm good. Just some water, please."

"All right. Please have a seat."

Linda brought the man a glass of water, and he began telling her about his great grandfather, who had founded the shop many years before. He claimed it was passed down to him as an inheritance.

Linda almost cried with joy. "Really, sir? I mean…oh my god. I don't know how to thank you, sir! Thank you so much!"

"I should thank you, Miss Brooks. As I said, I owed you one. If it weren't for you, I would have lost some of my most valuable antiques…."

A week later, Jacob and Linda traveled to Germany for Jacob's surgery. It took some time for Jacob to be able to walk normally, but he was back on his feet in 6 months. Meanwhile, Linda still drives her taxi around Manhattan — not because she has to, but because she enjoys her job now.

What can we learn from this story?

• Always be alert of your surroundings. Linda had a hunch something wasn't quite right with her last passenger, and she was correct.
• Never forget someone's kindness. The antique shop owner returned Linda's favor by paying for her father's surgery.

If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a man who captured pictures of homeless people for 30 years and found his long-lost mother in one of them.

This account is inspired by our reader's story and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.