Yesterday Could Have Been Better

Yesterday was unbelieveable and not in the good way. I was meeting my Dad to help him finish up the gas/water drama. My dad phoned me and asked me to get in a cab and meet him at City Hall. So, I did this and he said that he would pay the cab driver when we finished paying the bill and we would use this same cab driver to get home. It was taking a little longer than expected so my Dad asked me to go out and tell the cab driver it would be a few more minutes but not to worry. Well, the cab driver less than pleased with my response, grabbed me and tried to pull me into the cab. I jumped back and when I did this he tried to pull my wallet and my cell phone out of my hand. He couldn't get the wallet but he did grab the cell phone. The cab driver wanted me to leave something behind because he thought that I wasn't going to return and that I was going to rip him off of his fare. [But here's the thing, we use that cab company so much that most of the cab drivers know us by name, know where we live and when we see them shopping or run in to them somewhere they talk to us. They ask how's school, how's your family etc.] He did this and I ran back into City Hall to get my Dad. When I got there my Dad was finished and on his way out to meet me at the cab. I told him what was going on and my Dad started marching out to the cab. We went outside to where the cab was parked and my Dad asked him why he would do that? Why would he attack a girl? He told the cab driver there was no need for it because the cab driver not only knows where we live but we use this particular cab company exclusively. The cab driver started swearing and yelling at us. My dad asked how much the fare was and asked for the phone back. The fare was $10.50 and so my Dad gave him $15 for the ride and asked for the phone back. The cab driver rolled up his car window and tried to drive away. My dad stuck his arm in the window and tried to get the phone back. The cab driver just continued to roll up the window, so I stuck my hand in the window and started flapping it around trying to grab the phone. Well, the driver put the phone behind his back and started to drive away with our hands in his car. Just then an elderly woman and a big black lady approached us and asked what was going on. I explained to her hysterically what this man was trying to do. Well, the elderly woman stood in front of his car so he couldn't drive away. And the big black lady got in the passenger side of the car and would not get out until he gave us back the phone. We got the phone back and immediately called the cab company to report him. The cab company was willing to do nothing. We started walking away and wanted to get home. Well, the cab driver wasn't finished. He followed us in his car, swearing and yelling obsceneties at us. He also said he was phoning the police. My Dad, said "Yeah, that's a good idea." And he waited, and he waited and the cab driver finally said "I didn't call the police. I will see you after work. I know where you live and I will get you then." He then procceeded to spit on my Dad's face.
When we finally got home, we phoned the cab company again and asked for Head Office. They refused to give us the number for Head Office and said there was nothing they could do because he was the owner of the vehicle.
Later that night my Mom and I went grocery shopping (used the other cab company) and asked them what the procedures were for something like this. The driver said to contact the region. That the region controls the cab companies. So we have decided that we will be contacting the region and possibly the newspaper. I have also decided that I will never get in another cab alone. Because after all this, I took a cab home from a friend's house last night and it was a different cab company but again, the driver made me leave something of value in the car, while I ran in the house to get the money for the cab from my Mom. It makes me uncomfortable to leave my belongings in someone's car. Someone I don't know. And the more I think about it, what makes someone want to get in the car of a stranger. What makes cab drivers trust worthy?
In the end, we don't know these people and yet trust them to drive us from point A to point B. We trust them to drive kids to school, we trust them to drive us home when we're drunk, to take our elderly to the grocery store and anywhere else we need to go. The more I think about it, is it really safe to get in a stranger's car even if they work for a cab company, even if they have a little piece of laminated paper with their picture and a number telling us that they work for this company. This is just one more reason for me to save up and get my G1.