The 30-year-old Romanian had hailed the cab in the city and taken a tour of the nearby town of Herne, making several stops on the way, before returning to Bochum where the journey was due to end in the time-honored way with customer paying driver for the service.

But this passenger had other ideas. Having arrived back in the city, he then made the choice to flee the taxi without handing over the cash, leaving an irate cabbie fuming and cursing in his wake.

After running off into the city center, the man then decided the best way to make the escape complete would be to call alternative transport to ferry him to safety where he could look back on saving a hefty fare while savoring his own dubious victory.

"Oh no, not you again"

However, that was not to be. After calling a local taxi firm to send another cab to pick him up, the fare-dodger was reunited with his victim as the new cab was driven by exactly the same man that he had just ran away from. Recognizing the offender, the driver called the police, who arrested the man.

"The man was too shocked to run off this time," said a spokesman for Bochum police. "He took it like a gentleman and admitted the game was up."