Man with $5,000 cash won't pay $12 cab fare, Syracuse police say

(CBS/AP) SYRACUSE, N.Y. - An upstate New York man who refused to pay a $12 taxi fare had more than $5,000 cash on him at the time, police say.

Some people are just more careful about how they spend their money.

The Post-Standard of Syracuse reports that a 68-year-old man had the cabbie take him to two stores on Monday, in search of cheap cigarettes. Both times the passenger emerged from the store empty-handed, saying the price of cigarettes was too high.

When the man had the cab driver take him to a third store, the driver asked for the $12.40 fare. The passenger refused to pay, and told the cabbie to call police over the issue.

According to the newspaper, the arrest report says the defiant passenger became uncooperative when police arrived. Cops handcuffed him and searched his pockets, finding more than $5,000 in cash.

For failing to pay the cabbie, the man is charged with theft of services.