This archive report was first published on 17 November 2021.
November 17, 2021, marked a memorable day for Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua, but not for the reasons he had hoped. During his visit to the United States, Mutua found himself at the receiving end of a clever scam by a taxi driver in New York.
According to Mutua, he and his friend Dorothy had arrived at John F Kennedy International Airport and were looking to get to Edison in New Jersey. A local had advised them to take a bus from the airport and alight at Grand Central Station, from where they could pick a train to New Jersey. Mutua, being the adventurous type, decided to hail a cab instead, despite Dorothy's reservations.
After being dropped off by the cab, Mutua and Dorothy realized they had been conned. The Grand Central Station was just a short walk away from where they had been dropped off, and all they had to do was turn a corner to see it. Mutua had paid the cab driver $11, leaving him with $189.
As Mutua reflected on the experience, he realized that he had been blinded by his own confidence in navigating America. 'We had been conned,' he said, 'I had officially arrived in real-world America.'
