‘My Dad Helped Polanski Escape’

I wish Samantha Geimer would stop making people believe she was Roman Polanski’s only victim when he fled the country. What about my dad?

Everyone knows Polanski hopped on a plane back in 1978 but everyone forgets how he got to the airport to catch it. He took a limo.

Dad told me this story many times. He had gotten the call for an airport run one February night in 1978. He recognized Polanski when he opened the door for him. Polanski told him they were going to the airport to meet somebody. He was traveling light, so dad had no reason to question it.

And when they pulled up to the curb at the airport, dad opened the door and Polanski got out and said, "I’ll be right back."

So dad waited there. All night. Sat there in his limo. Why? Because a client left the vehicle and told him to wait. Because that’s the limo driver’s oath.

Just like a doctor takes an oath not to leave you hanging, we will not drive away. No matter what. No matter how long you make us wait. And no matter who you are. Whether you are a guy from Northridge who wants to wow his date or world famous movie director Roman Polanski.

So when the sun came up the next morning, dad and his limo were still at the airport. That afternoon, finally, a cop came by and asked dad to roll down the window. And pretty soon, the news was out about what that sneaky little creep did.

He cheated us out of a fare.

Twenty-four hours straight on call. Gas. You tack on 38 years of unpaid interest, and you’ll see there’s a sizable outstanding balance on this limousine bill.

What kind of person tells a limo driver he’ll be back and then never shows? There are big issues here.