Turkish Taxi Driver Sentenced to 10-years in Prison for Bilking Tourist

Anyone who has ever been ripped-off by a dishonest taxi driver and wonders whether there is ever recourse for the passenger is looking toward Istanbul, Turkey, for a vicarious sense of closure. According to the newspaper Hurriyet, the driver who took a Saudi tourist on a joy ride that zigzagged between the Asian and European sections of the city. The needless time spent in the cab not only ran up the meter, but caused the passenger to miss his flight home. The tourist filed a complaint before leaving Turkey that resulted in a 10-year prison term for the driver who argued that he simply became “confused” about the route according to the newspaper. Taxi rip-offs have become epidemic in Turkey.