You may find yourself in unfamiliar terrirtory!
I have a low tolerance for drunks with no money who fail to mention it.
I got a call to a south side address at 3:30 in the morning. My first attempt to find them resulted in a no-show. I called the customer who told me that a dunk woman had asked them to call, and that he was probably walking north from the address. I soon received a message on the computer that she showed back up at the caller's house, so I turn around.
Her destination is a good distance away - roughly a $20 fare. We are on the freeway, past the halfway-point in the trip, when she asks to use my cell phone. I overhear her begging someone on the other end to pay her CAB FARE! After she hangs up, having been unable to convince them to pay, I inquire as to what, if any, money she has. Her reply, after a drunk counting session, is two dollars and forty-six cents. I am furious to say the least. She asked me if I was pissed. I was honest. She asked if I was going to put her out on the freeway. I was honest (the law and common-sense forbid it - Sure, I want to be the cab driver on the news that put a staggering drunk woman out on the freeway to play frogger!) I did inform her that I would be dropping her at a BP gas station off the next exit, which is prudent and legal. (By this time, the meter is over $16) She begins crying. Point blank I ask "Who did you call, and what is their number?" I get her friend on the line and explain to him that I am putting her out of the cab on the near-east side unless he agrees to pay me $15 on arrival (I can be a decent guy...). He cusses her, but agrees to pay, ending the conversation with "As far as I'm concerned, you should put her ass out!", but that was just him bitching to me about her stupid ass.
Needless to say, she got where she was going, and I got $15 for it. Based on some of her conversation with me, and her use of the term 'put-me-out' I have a feeling this isn't the first time she has tried this. It wastes my gas even more and makes no sense to return a non-paying customer to where you picked them up, so they get closer for free.