Taxi driver Jean-Jacquely Saint-Fort (left) found a passport in his cab and drove all the way into town from Trudeau airport
to return it to Japanese businessman Juichi Riku.
Photograph by: Marie-France Coallier, The Gazette
MONTREAL – Juichi Riku has a great big thank you for the kind people he has met in Montreal.
The Japanese businessman is in town this week to attend a pharmaceutical convention.
And he’s able to leave town tomorrow because of the kindness of one special stranger: Jean-Jacquely Saint-Fort, the taxi driver who found Riku’s passport and travel documents in the back of his cab and drove all the way from Dorval to an Old Montreal hotel to return them in person.
“He’s a hero, he’s a god,” Riku enthused as he spoke of the kind-hearted cabbie.
Riku flew into Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport about 5 p.m. Monday, cleared customs an hour later and hopped into Saint-Fort’s taxi with his boss, Hiroyuki Sawai, for the ride downtown to the Westin Montreal.
At the hotel, Riku realized he didn’t have the translucent zippered pouch with his airline tickets, reservation confirmation and his red-bound Japanese passport.
“I was so shocked, I didn’t know what to do,” Riku said.
“I asked the receptionist what to do and she asked me for the name of the driver.
“I didn’t know the name.”
Thanks to the precise information on the receipt Saint-Fort had given Riku, they identified the permit number, and a call was made to the dispatcher at Diamond Taxi.
The hotel was told the taxi firm’s lost and found department was closed for the day.
A short time later, Saint-Fort was back at the airport, in line waiting for another fare, when he noticed a plastic pouch on the floor. He opened it and realized it belonged to the passengers he had just dropped at the Westin.
Saint-Fort told the airport taxi dispatcher he had to leave the line, and a possibly lucrative fare, and return to the Westin immediately.
When Saint-Fort got to the hotel on St. Antoine St. about 8 p.m., he brought the passport to the reception desk. There was Riku, clearly distraught.
“I said to the receptionist, ‘That’s my customer.’ When he (Riku) saw the pouch, he kept saying, ‘Thank you, thank you,’ ” the cabbie said yesterday.
Saint-Fort, who immigrated to Canada from Haiti 21 years ago, has been driving a cab for 10 years. In that time has found his share of valuable items left behind: wallets, briefcases and cellphones .
He said he never hesitated giving up another fare to bring the papers back to Riku.
“I might have been an immigrant here in Montreal forever,” Riku joked yesterday.
Saint-Fort’s reward for returning the passport was a very handsome $200 tip.
Montreal’s reward will be some excellent word-of-mouth from Riku when he gets back to Japan.
From the staff at the hotel to his new favourite taxi driver, Riku had nothing but praise.
“Montrealers are hospitable, kind, gentle and honest,” he said.
“I am very impressed.”
Montreal cabbie goes the distance for Japanese tourist#
Montreal cabbie goes the distance for Japanese tourist
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