John Cleese issues plea to ‘beloved’ taxi drivers after losing diary in London black cab

Comedy and acting legend John Cleese made a heartfelt plea to his ‘beloved’ London taxi drivers after possibly misplacing his diary in the back of one of the capital’s iconic vehicles.

The Faulty Towers and Monty Python star released a post to over five million Twitter followers after being dropped off in Central London on Friday 7 October.

Cleese said via social media: “A quick plea for help from my beloved London black cab drivers

“Will the driver who dropped me off at a doctor's practice on Grafton Way recently, after we'd had a long chat,...please see if my diary might be wedged in the seat somewhere in the back of his cab.”

The message soon went viral across social media with over 1,000 retweets, and was also shared amongst taxi driver groups.

There are several ways passenger can try to look for lost property in a taxi. First, they should check their receipt. If the journey was paid by card there will be a number for the card payment solution provider to call. On the same receipt will also be a number that references the taxi driver. The card payment operator should be able to provide more information and connect the driver on the passenger's behalf.

Similarly, if the cab was booked via an app, the passenger should get in touch with the operator who’ll be able to contact the driver on their behalf.

If the passenger paid by cash and has no receipt, this is when they may have to call round and search in a few places.

First up, contact Transport for London (TfL) and register an enquiry with them. They will take details of the lost item along with personal details and use them to match up items handed in to them.

Most cabbies will head to the TfL Lost Property offices to hand in items as soon as it's possible. Sometimes the item might not be found immediately, especially if it’s a dark late night or if the passenger was the final fare for the cabbie who now isn’t working for a few days.