Hahn-Bin, a 22-year old South Korean violinist, owes it to the cabbie and the driver’s GPS system for helping him locate his $493,000 Giovanni Francesco Pressenda violin. The musician left his violin in a yellow cab in NYC after a performance in Long Island. He didn’t notice his mistake until hours later while taking a shower.

After calling the police and the taxi dispatcher, Hahn-Bin was reunited with his violin thanks in part due to the GPS tracker installed in every yellow cab in NYC. “Losing an instrument is a greatest fear, even more than making a mistake on stage,” said Hahn-Bin after getting his violin back. This isn’t the first time musicians have lost their instruments in a New York City cab.

In 1999, Yo-Yo Ma forgot his $2.4 instrument in the back of a yellow cab. And in 2001, Lynn Harrell left a 328-year-old cello, valued over $4 million, in a cab also in New York City. Both musicians were able to recover their instruments without a problem. It makes you wonder why these people can’t seem to keep their expensive valuables with them. It’s not like losing something out of your pocket. We’re talking about big instruments that are can’t miss items. If I have anything valued over $50, I’m holding on to it. With Hahn-Bin finding his violin using the cabs GPS system, maybe a GPS tacker on cabs won’t be such a bad thing, you know just in case I lose my $50,000 phone.

(Via Telegraph)