Honesty in Low Places

Whilst sleazy politicians in the UK, and corrupt ones in South Africa dominate this weeks blog entries, just a word about the taxi driver in La Plata, Argentina, who having discovered that an elderly couple had left a bag with $32,000 in his Taxi. Spent three days seeking them in order to return the bag (how many UK politicians would I trust to do that?).

Now this would be a remarkable bit of honesty in any time and place but from a taxi driver who is likely not to be very well off, this was an all the more impressive bit of integrity.

As well as blogs like this saluting him, a web site in Argentina highlighted the story and ‘reward’ donations flooded in, with over $14,580 to be handed over to the taxi driver Santiago Gori. It reminds me of the story of Richard Karyea in Liberia refusing a bribe (1,300 times greater than his salary), and reporting drug smuggling.

Sometimes, just sometimes, honesty is its own reward ….. with a little helping hand from the public.