Good guy cabbie returns lost hockey championship watch

Lost and found stories of taxi drivers seem to have been around since the beginning of time. Some go as outlandish as finding a newborn baby on the backseat of a cab, while some go as subtle as finding a few bucks left by unlucky passengers. Nevertheless, these stories never fail to surprise and amuse us.

And only recently, another heartwarming story surfaced the internet after a taxi driver returns a hockey championship watch to its rightful owner, no other than Zane Forbes.

The story starts with Joe White, a very helpful and generous taxi driver. Mr. White finds joy in lending a hand to other people, and he is able to do so with his taxi service. In fact, sometimes, he happily gives other passengers a ride even if they can’t pay right then. And from one of those passengers was a friend who gave him a watch as partial payment.

As it turns out, the watch is a Bulova from the 1970s. It doesn’t seem to be of great value, though. It was in bad shape with a broken case. However, Mr. White still decided to read the inscription on the back of the watch face. That was the time he realized that the watch was far more significant than it seemed.

Taxi driver Joe White returns Bulova watch to Zane Forbes. (CBC)

“The name on the back and watch was Zane Forbes,” White said. “And if you grew up in the ’70s like I did, and you watched a lot of hockey and stuff, you know the scene for us was he was almost a household name.”

Zane Forbes was a former Labrador senior hockey and Newfoundland star during the 1970’s. He, together with two other Newfoundlanders, named Terry Gregory and Dave Kennedy, played on a line in Guelph, Ont.

By 1975, the team made it to the national championship final. The City of Guelph then gave each player a watch as a gift of accomplishment. The watch is complete with an inscription explaining its significance.

“This watch belongs to Zane Forbes,” Mr. White said as soon as he realized upon reading the faded letters in the metal. “It’s not my watch.”

The kind taxi driver immediately contacted CBC in St. John’s to give the watch back to Forbes. During the wait, Mr. White got the watch fully refurbished, restoring its beauty right from top to bottom.

I’m just so happy to get my watch back. So happy.
Zane Forbes

According to the hockey star, he never wore the watch from the time he received it.

“I was keeping it for my son, and this past Christmas it went missing.”

Joe White and Zane Forbes meeting each other so White could return the watch. (CBC)

Finally, both men were able to meet up in May, where Mr. White personally returned the watch to Forbes.

“I can’t thank you enough for that,” Forbes told the taxi driver. Although the watch didn’t quite fit him now, but it was a perfect fit for his son.

“Not everybody does those type of things,” Forbes said.

By the end of the day, the two gentlemen leave each other with a story and value that they shall never forget. Hopefully, their paths will cross again, but only time can tell.