It’s a dream come true for anyone who depends largely the generosity of others to make a living — land a huge tip for a small or otherwise not difficult job, and walk away happy. But one Philadelphia cab driver was so shocked by an almost $1,000 tip for a two-minute that he was more worried the passenger had made a mistake than he was excited about his windfall, at first.

The cabbie was cruising for fares in the early morning hours of Dec. 13 when he was flagged down by a man asking to go for just a short ride, reports Philly.com. He asked how the driver’s night was going, according to the founder of the cab company who spoke to the press on behalf of his worker.

“A little hectic, but not bad,” the cab driver said.

“I’ll make it a great night,” the mystery passenger replied.

At the end of the ride, which took a little more than a minute, the passenger swiped his card to pay the $4.32 fare and entered a tip — of $989.98.

The driver was worried that the passenger had made a mistake and asked if he’d meant to put such a large tip in, but the passenger answered, “I know what I did.”

Still, the cab company was concerned it was all a mixup, and waited 30 days for the credit card company to process the fare. Finally yesterday, the fare was all clear and the company could announce the driver’s big win. His generous customer remains a mystery.

“We’ve tried to get in touch with him, but the credit card company won’t divulge his name,” the cab company founder told Philly.com. “The fare was not disputed. That’s all they would say.”

He adds that this extra cash couldn’t have come to a better guy — he originally hails from West Africa, and works six or seven days a week to send a “good amount” of the money he makes to family still remaining overseas, the founder explains.

“I’ve heard of some large tips before, but nothing this big,” he says of his employee. “It couldn’t have happened to a better guy.”

Cabbie surprised by nearly $1,000 tip [Philly.com]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.