Passenger tears up 100-yuan note to pay taxi driver

What happens when you are stuck in a taxi without enough small change to pay the fare?

Li Yong (not his real name), a taxi driver in China's southwestern Chongqing, was astonished by an "innovative", yet extreme solution from one passenger - who tore a 100-yuan bill in half.

He later recounted the story on China's twitter-like service ,Weibo, China's Southern Metropolis Daily reported this week.

Li remembered picking up the passenger near Shiqiaopu on Wednesday. The taximeter read 49.4 yuan when they arrived at their destination in Lijia.

The passenger then handed Li a 100-yuan bill. Only having 30 yuan in small change at the time, Li asked the passenger for a smaller bill.

The passenger, apparently annoyed by the request, tore the 100-yuan bill in half.

Holding out Li’s half, he snapped, “If you can’t come up with this, you deserve to drive a taxi for the rest of your life.”

The passenger then walked away, leaving Li, dumbfounded and unpaid. 

Many netizens on Weibo seemed amused by the story.

“Classic,” said one. “I have always dreamed about spending money this way." 

“Isn’t destroying official banknotes illegal in China?,” said another.