Cabbie with a golden heart
EL PASO, Texas - The elderly couple in the back seat of Ismael Baeza's cab had a whistling parrot, but apparently no cash and no idea how to get home. But that didn't stop the taxi driver from making the 10-hour, 500-mile trip that carried a $1,200 fare.
The 24-year-old cabbie picked up the couple in El Paso Monday. They said they wanted to go to their hometown of Bandera, west of San Antonio.
"About halfway through the trip, I found out that they didn't have the money to pay for the trip," Baeza said Tuesday. "It was either drop them off at the next town or keep going. Something told me to just keep going. I couldn't leave them off in one of those little towns."
Baeza's father, Sam, who came along for the ride, even bought food and drinks for the couple along the way.
"I just took them all the way into town and thought, well, it's not about the money anymore," Baeza said.
Bandera police believe the couple may have Alzheimer's disease and aren't sure how they ended up in El Paso. Baeza said the couple told them they couldn't take a bus or plane home because of their parrot. Baeza said the parrot whistled all the way.
Once they were in Bandera, Baeza said he asked the man where his home was and the man said it was four hours away. Baeza contacted police, who identified the couple and handed them off to sheriff's deputies, who got them to their home in Bandera County.
"In my opinion, the man's a saint," Bandera police Sgt. Mark Burke said of Baeza. "In my job, I don't deal with many nice guys, but as far as I'm concerned, this guy walks on water."
Baeza said the couple gave him several hundred dollars in traveler's checks. He wasn't sure Tuesday if they were any good.
Police later discovered the woman had about $2,000 to $3,000 in her wallet.
Daffy for president
LOS ANGELES - The presidential campaign is getting a little Daffy.
The blustery Daffy Duck brashly tosses his bill into the ring as part of a new four-minute educational cartoon. He sets his sights on the White House with hopes of avenging slights from Bugs Bunny by declaring year-round rabbit hunting season.
He promises "a rabbit in every pot," but stumbles along the campaign trail as that debonair bunny imparts tidbits of knowledge about the American political system.
Warner Bros. animators based "Daffy Duck for President" on a 1997 book written by Daffy's creator, legendary animator Chuck Jones, who died in 2002.
"My father wrote and prepared the storyboard for 'Daffy for President' as a reminder that our system is designed to check and balance the greed and selfishness exemplified by our dear, frustrated friend, Daffy Duck," Jones' daughter Linda Jones said Wednesday.
The tale of the duck's campaign is included in the upcoming Warner Bros. DVD "Looney Tunes - Golden Collection: Volume Two" ($64.92).
It goes on sale Nov. 2, Election Day.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
Join the San Mateo Daily Journal in Fiesta Hall at the Community Expo at the San Mateo County Fair! Read moreSan Mateo Community Expo at the Fair
Join New York Times bestselling author Caroline Paul for a lively discussion of her book Tou… Read moreBook Club with Author Caroline Paul
CA Is Burning said:
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.