Touching moment black cabbie returns £100,000 Hermès handbag to rightful owner

A black cab driver has been hailed for his honesty after returning a £100,000 designer handbag to its owner.

Hana Al Hai, whose family is thought to own a hotel in Dubai, had left her luxury bag at the back of Terry’s taxi during a visit to London.

Terry quickly went viral after finding the Hermès Kelly handbag on his back seat and returning it safely to Hana the next day at her hotel in Knightsbridge.

It was thanks to Terry’s detective work that Hana was reunited with the bag, thought to be a Mini Kelly black alligator with silver hardware, after the driver reached out to the Dubai Mall to get her details.

Terry had gone the extra mile and messaged the Dubai Mall Lounge just in case Hana was a member, who then reached out to her to let her know the bag was in safe hands with Terry in Sussex.

Terry explained how the saga unfolded: ‘I noticed the bag on the backseat after the fare got out. I could see straight away this wasn’t an ordinary handbag.

‘I drove straight back to the hotel to return it. That’s just what we do. This is why London black cabs are the best in the world — we’re trusted.’

Returning the bag, which appears to be either crocodile or alligator skin, the driver bonded with the woman over his love of Dubai’s golf courses.

Not only did he get a £200 tip, but his passenger offered a holiday at the hotel they owned in Dubai.

Hana Al Hai later posted a heartfelt message on social media, thanking the driver for his incredible honesty.

In her post, she wrote: ‘It’s rare to meet someone with such integrity and genuine care for others.

‘Please know how much I appreciate the trouble you went through, and how deeply grateful I am for your actions. You turned what could have been a stressful experience into a reminder of the goodness in people.

‘Thank you once again for going out of your way — I won’t forget it.’

She also thanked the Dubai Mall for facilitating the connection after Terry checked in with them when he ‘couldn’t find any contact details inside,’ which is when ‘most people might have given up.’

To get your hands on a Hermès Birkin it is not as simple as walking into a shop and stumping up the cash. Most people build a relationship with a sales associate by buying other Hermès items like scarves, jewelry, shoes, or home goods first.

It’s thought you may need to spend 1 to 2 times the price of a Birkin on other Hermès products before being offered one.

The Kelly bag rose to fame in 1956 when Grace Kelly, the Hollywood star and the Princess of Monaco, used the handbag to hide her pregnancy from the paparazzi.

The Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA) highlighted the act of good will as proof of why London’s black cab industry must be safeguarded.

In a statement, the LTDA said: ‘London’s cabbies continue to set the gold standard in service and trustworthiness. This driver’s actions exemplify why black cabs remain the safest and most reliable form of transport in London.’

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