New Yorkers definitely know how to cuss – especially when they come face-to-face with a snake.
James Failla knows firsthand: He put a snake in the back of his cab as a prank, and created a video of it. The reactions, to say the least, range from horrified to horrified-with-terrible language.
The reason? Failla wanted to promote his new book, “Follow that Car! A Cabbie’s Guide to Conquering Fears, Achieving Dreams, and Finding a Public Restroom,” and wanted to “raise awareness” of what it’s like as a cab driver.
The prank was simple: A snake handler hid in the back seat of the cab with the snake and Failla picked up unsuspecting passengers. Everyone signed a release, Failla insisted. And the snake was a “actual professional snake, we didn’t take it out someone’s cage in their house.”
Failla posted a video of the best reactions on YouTube, calling it “Shock Video: Cabbie Terrorizes Passengers with Giant Snake.”
But the TLC isn’t laughing. TLC spokesman Allan Fromberg said Failla’s prank showed “monumentally poor judgment on the driver’s part.” What’s more, Fromberg said it made them “question” whether Failla should even have a license.
Failla says it was still worth it. “It’s the worst job in the world, I hope they take my license away,” Failla said.
He’s not even worried about karma, despite being “deathly afraid” of snakes himself. “I don’t feel bad about a second of this prank,” Failla said. “I’ve gotten like 1,000 death threats, but they’re not serious … All things considered, it was fun.”
