Las Vegas Taxi Driver Gives Back US$300,000 To Poker Player Passenger

By Jobs & Hire Staff Reporter | Dec 26, 2013 01:09 PM EST

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A Las Vegas cab driver did his part in restoring people's faith in humanity when he returned a bag containing around US$300,000 in cash to one of his passengers.

When Gerardo Gamboa discovered a bag of money in the backseat of his taxi, he didn't hesitate on doing the right thing and giving back the money.

The Las Vegas cab driver originally thought that one of his passengers had left a bag containing chocolate in his taxi on Monday. When he inspected the bag, Gamboa discovered that it contained cash instead and immediately set out to find the unnamed poker player who left the money behind by accident.

"I don't care from $10 to higher. My dignity is not for sale, and that's the way I am. That's the way our parents taught us when I was a kid," said cab driver Gamboa to KVVU in an interview.

Gerardo Gamboa remarked that the moment he discovered the money, the first thing he thought to do was inform his dispatcher and return the bag. He believed that this was his only chance to the world that Las Vegas taxi drivers were not bad people.

After bringing the bag of money to the Yellow Checker Star Transportation headquarters, police men and casino staff assisted Gamboa in finding the unidentified man who failed to take home the large sum of money. The transportation company reported that the poker player had been so distraught after losing the bag of money to the point of attempting suicide.

"He was grateful. He was very understanding; he wasn't irritated. To a point he was irritated, but he wasn't mad or aggressive or anything. Maybe a little more embarrassed than anything. I mean, he left $300,000 in a cab, but he was an awesome guy," Joel Willden of Yellow Checker Star shared.

The Las Vegas cab driver's kindness did not go unrewarded. Yellow Checker Star honored Gamboa as driver of the year and even got for himself a check valuing at US$1,000. The company also gifted the cab driver a free steak dinner for him and a guest.

One of the company's representatives explained that everyone involved did their best in finding the original owner at the soonest time possible. They had to take careful consideration in the matter as many people could easily pretend to be the rightful owner in hopes of scoring giveaway cash. 

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