How to get free world-class entertainment

Late last week, taxi industry officials gathered over bad coffee and soaked up music performed by famed musicians Hanh-Bin and Ann Roggen while attending the International Association of Transportation Regulators conference.

Know what these musicians have in common? Outside of talent and being world-renowned and all that?

They’ve all flaked and left their priceless instruments behind in cabs.

I guess this is what happens. You leave your instrument in a taxi and totally freak out. Then the instrument gets returned and you’re so happy – tears of joy streaming – that you’ll promise anything. And next thing you know, you’re wearing a monkey suit and playing at an industry trade show.

Kinda awesome.

Remember Hanh-Bin? With the great faux-hawk? Check it out here.

Crazy-old violin returned to flighty musician

Thanks to the tracking/stalker-like power of cabs' GPS, a $500,000, 184-year old violin was returned to its owner.

(FYI - When this violin was built, it took two days to travel from NYC to Boston via Stagecoach. Bet that was comfortable. The rest of the US was busy executing Indians.)

As that violin is worth more than my life, I can't imagine how I'd feel if I'd had one to many to drinks and left it in a cab. Not that the violin's owner, 22-year-old Korean virtuoso Hanh-Bin, did that. But I might. Then I'd freak out and cry.

But Hanh-Bin had the presence of mind to call the taxi authorities and the cops, and the cab's dispatcher tracked it down in no time via the GPS -- it was still in the trunk of the cab Dalbir Singh had driven home to NJ, the New York Post reported.

The couple was happily reunited.

Above is a picture of an 18th century violin which looks suspiciously like a modern-day violin. More impressive is Hanh-Bin's mohawk and eyeliner.