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New York cabbie to lose license after pranking passengers with snake

The taxi system in Philadelphia isn’t exactly great, as Randy LoBasso’s excellent series over at Philadelphia Weekly proves—but, as with all bad situations, there is always a silver lining. In this case, that silver lining is the lack of 14-foot pythons in the back of our cabs. Hallelujah.

    by Nick Vadala
    Published 

The taxi system in Philadelphia isn't exactly great, as Randy LoBasso's excellent series over at Philadelphia Weekly proves—but, as with all bad situations, there is always a silver lining. In this case, that silver lining is the lack of 14-foot pythons in the back of our cabs. Hallelujah.

A few New York City cab customers, however, have dealt with that particular nightmare this week after YouTube comedian and cabbie Jimmy Failla pranked them and filmed their reactions. Failla is now facing losing his cab license due to the stunt, but, as he tells TMZ, he doesn't care about all that.

The snake in question is a 14-foot python Failla loaded into the back of his cab to freak out potential fares—which, understandably, is exactly what it did. Since the video hit YouTube, the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission has come out against the prank (duh), saying that it shows "monumentally poor judgment on the driver's part."

PETA is also getting involved, saying that Failla subjected the python unnecessarily to scared, screaming passengers in a cramped space. Failla has since issued a statement saying that the snake "was handled with the utmost compassion…by a licensed snake handler." So, there's that.

But as we continue the dialogue on improving our cab system here in Philadelphia, let this serve as our perpetual common ground. Because, really, if we can't agree on keeping random carnivorous reptiles out of our modes of conveyance, what can we agree on?

Can't see the video? Click here.

[Gawker]