A New York City taxi driver made headlines this week after he pranked his customers by showing them a live python during their cab ride.
Dubbed the "Snakes in a Cab" prank, comedian and former taxi driver Jimmy Failla potentially scarred his passengers for life when he let a 14-foot Burmese python slither into the back seat while the cab was moving. Failla recorded the passengers' reactions and uploaded the video on YouTube on Monday.
Passengers jump in shock, curse and rant as the yellow and white python comes towards them from the front seat though the window.
Animal rights groups and the city's Taxi and Limousine Commission expressed outrage over the joke.
"This was monumentally poor judgment on the driver's part, and we are clearly going to actively question this person's suitability to continue holding a TLC license," TLC spokesman Allan Fromberg told the Gothamist.
PETA expressed concern for the snake that had to endure to repeated screaming and yelling from frightened passengers.
"Snakes are remarkable yet frequently misunderstood animals who have an acute sense of hearing," PETA Senior Director of Communications Colleen O'Brien told the Gothamist. "Being bombarded by shrieking passengers, slamming car doors, and threats of violence is extremely stressful for them."
Failla recorded the video to promote his new book, "Follow That Car!: A Cabbie's Guide to Conquering Fears, Achieving Dreams, and Finding a Public Restroom."
Chelsey Saatkamp, Failla's publicist, told the Gothamist that Failla no longer drives cabs but sometimes gets behind the wheel "for fun."
Failla released a statement to the Gothamist saying "the snake was handled with the utmost compassion and consideration by a licensed snake handler.
"The team took multiple shooting breaks to make sure the snake was relaxed," Failla's statement said. "The snake was always held by the handler and neither the snake nor the passenger was in any danger," Failla told the Gothamist.
