I’m always a little apprehensive giving away too many details in a headline like I do here, because the reader will sometimes feel they don’t need to click on the story to get the full gist of it. I had to this time, though, because the details are too good.

And if you don’t want to read about some college kid taking a chartered bus from San Marcos, TX to New Orleans for his formal, blacking out, thinking he was on 6th Street in Austin as opposed to Bourbon in New Orleans, hailing a cab that he thought was taking him 30 miles south to his home, as opposed to 515 miles across Louisiana and half of Texas, spending over $1,200 on that cab fare, then, realizing he wanted to be back in New Orleans, hopped on a flight from Austin, then I can’t help you.

All of the above happened, and I have pictures and screenshots to prove it. I received a tip last night that included the email address of the Delta Tau Delta member at the center of this ridiculous story. I emailed him. He responded. Below is the full story, from the horse’s mouth.

Alright, I woke up Friday morning, started drinking until the busses showed up to the house. I hardly remember the trip to NOLA, once we got to the hotel we went out to Bourbon street. I went to some bars, drank, and lost my group plus my date. I ended up in front of a different hotel and these guys tried fighting me and one of them stole my phone. We got into a fight and then a hotel employee called the police. Two cops showed up on horses and told me to leave so I got into a cab. I told the driver to take me to San Marcos because I thought I was on 6th street in Austin. He told me to get out because it was too far of a drive and that it’d be close to $700, I pulled out my card and said lets go. He drove me all the way to the Delt house, I got there at 11 Saturday morning and it cost $755. I walked into the house and the guys freaked out and said that they thought I got shot or stabbed since I was missing for over 8 hours. They told my date and everyone that I was still alive and then I booked a flight and flew all the way back to NOLA that night. I got another cab from the airport and I told him I’d pay him more if he went 90 on the highway and then we stopped so I could buy some roses for my date to try and apologize since she hated me and the fact that she had to sleep next to me at the hotel. I walked into the hotel and everyone went crazy and they started asking me about what happened. I found my date and she looked like she wanted to kill me. She wouldn’t talk to me so I just went to the bar again. She stayed pissed at me for the rest of the trip especially since she had to sit by me on the bus ride back to Texas State. I had one hell of a weekend in NOLA. I loved it.

After receiving this email, I asked him to provide me a screenshot of his credit card activity so I could verify his story. He complied, and in doing so, learned that he spent a lot more than the $755 he originally thought.

Me: “I see a $480 charge from a cab company and an $800 cash withdrawal.”

Him: “Apparently the cab was $480 for half way, then when I got to San Marcos I withdrew $800 so I could pay him the extra $760. This is my first time checking my account.”

Me: “So your cab fare was actually over $1,200?”

Him: “Correct.”

He didn’t even remember getting charged the $480.

This guy is inspiringly nonchalant about pissing away $1,240 on a taxi ride. And can we talk about this asshole cab driver for a second? I understand wanting to pull in over a grand in one night of working, but our guy was clearly not of sound mind to make a decision like this, and I’m thinking the cab driver knew that. At what point does a little professional discretion kick in?

Anyway, here’s the plane ticket:

Tack on another $401.60 for a one-way back to his formal.

And finally, here’s our boy on the chartered bus headed back home, roses in hand, next to his clearly disgruntled date.

Do it for the story..

h/t Sydney