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Sometimes you book an airport pickup. Sometimes you get an experience that becomes a story you’ll tell for the rest of your life. This is the tale of three supporters who came to Trinidad in April 2025 for the Carifta Games, booked a simple transfer service through our website, and ended up with so much more – including watching the Tebet Tours van get towed by police while we were mid-meal. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s start at the beginning.
Tebet Tours offers airport pickup and drop-off services – it’s one of our core offerings, bookable through our website, Viator, or TripAdvisor. Simple, straightforward, reliable transportation. That’s what these three guests booked when they arrived in Trinidad to support their nephew competing in track and field at the Carifta Games.
What they got was so much more than a ride.
From the moment we met at Piarco International Airport, the energy was beautiful. Three people with Haitian roots, hearts full of family pride, ready to cheer on their nephew on the track. The love was palpable. The excitement was contagious. And within minutes, we weren’t just driver and passengers – we were becoming friends.
As we loaded their luggage and headed toward their hotel, one thing became clear: they were hungry. Not “we could eat” hungry. Hungry hungry. The kind that makes stomachs growl and makes the idea of checking into a hotel first seem unreasonable.
So we did what Tebet Tours does best: we pivoted.
Instead of going straight to the hotel, we diverted for food. Because what’s the point of being in Trinidad if you’re going to suffer through hunger when good food is available? We found a spot, ordered our meals, and settled in to eat and get to know each other better.
The food was good. The conversation was better. The vibe was perfect.
And then we looked out the window.
There are moments in life when time seems to slow down. When your brain struggles to process what your eyes are seeing. This was one of those moments.
The Tebet Tours van was being towed away by police.
I felt fear for the van – my livelihood, my business, my ability to serve my guests. They felt fear for their luggage – everything they’d brought for their Trinidad stay, locked inside a vehicle that was currently being hoisted onto a tow truck.
We abandoned our meals and rushed outside, but it was too late. The van was gone. The police were gone. And we were standing on the street trying to figure out what just happened and what to do next.
Guilt. Regret. The mental replay of “should we have just gone straight to the hotel?” All of it hit at once.
This is where the story could have gone dark. Stranded with luggage gone, vehicle impounded, three guests who had literally just arrived in the country were probably questioning every life decision that led them to book with us.
But then Trinidad’s hospitality showed its beautiful face.
A witness to the towing – a complete stranger who had no obligation to get involved – offered to drop us to the Woodbrook Police Station to retrieve the vehicle. Not just directions. Not just sympathy. An actual ride. Taking time out of their own day to help people they didn’t know solve a problem that wasn’t theirs.
This is Trinidad. This is who we are.
Police stations are not known for their speed or their ambiance. We settled in for what we knew would be a wait. The guilt was still there – I felt responsible for what happened. The regret was real – we all wondered if that food detour had been worth it.
But something interesting happened during that wait. Instead of anger or frustration, there was understanding. Instead of blame, there was patience. Our three Carifta supporters, who could have reasonably been upset about this turn of events, remained calm and even found humor in the situation.
“Well,” one of them said, “this is definitely memorable.”
Eventually – because everything in Trinidad happens on Trinidad time – we got the van back. Luggage intact. Vehicle released. Crisis resolved.
Here’s what I love most about this story: that initial experience did not deter the guests.
They could have requested a different driver. They could have written off Tebet Tours as bad luck. They could have stayed in their hotel room and avoided any more potential adventures.
Instead, they booked more experiences with us.
We did a city tour of Port of Spain – showing them the Red House, the Magnificent Seven, the Queen’s Park Savannah, all the landmarks that make our capital special.
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| Joy on their faces |
We ventured up to Fort George, perched high in the hills with panoramic views of the city and Gulf of Paria. From up there, Trinidad spreads out below you like a promise – all the beauty, all the chaos, all the life of this island visible at once.
And through it all, the energy remained beautiful. The connection deepened. The laughter continued.
The whole reason for this trip was the Carifta Games in April 2025 – that celebration of Caribbean youth athletics where the region’s best young track and field athletes compete. Our guests came to cheer for their nephew, to be that family presence in the stands that makes all the training and sacrifice worthwhile.
The nephew didn’t win. But that’s not the point.
He competed. He represented. He had family there supporting him, family who traveled from abroad and survived a van-towing incident just to be there cheering his name. That’s love. That’s what matters.
And everybody – the athlete, the supporters, even the tour guide whose van got towed – had fun.
“Sak pase” – the Haitian Creole greeting that asks “what’s happening?” – feels like the perfect way to sum up this experience.
What’s happening? Everything. Airport pickups that become friendships. Hunger that leads to detours. Police tows that could have ended badly but didn’t. Strangers who offer help without being asked. City tours and fort visits. Track meets where the medal doesn’t matter as much as the family in the stands.
What’s happening is Trinidad. What’s happening is connection. What’s happening is the kind of experience you can’t book on Viator or Tripadvisor – the human moments that happen between the planned activities.
These three guests booked a simple airport pickup and dropoff service in April 2025. What they got was:
✓ A food detour
✓ A van towing incident
✓ A stranger’s kindness
✓ A wait at Woodbrook Police Station
✓ A growing friendship
✓ A city tour
✓ Fort George views
✓ Carifta Games memories
✓ Stories to tell for years
That’s not a simple pickup. That’s an adventure. That’s Trinidad.
This story reminds me why I love this work. Not because everything always goes smoothly – clearly, it doesn’t. But because of what happens when things go wrong and everyone chooses grace, humor, and connection instead of anger and blame.
Our Haitian-rooted Carifta supporters could have let that towing incident define their Trinidad experience negatively. Instead, they let it become just one chapter in a larger story – a story that includes beautiful energy, spontaneous detours, helpful strangers, family support, and the kind of memories that matter.
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| Overlooking Port Of Spain |
Heartfelt gratitude to the stranger who witnessed our van being towed and offered us a ride to Woodbrook Police Station. You embodied the best of Trinidad hospitality and turned a crisis into a manageable inconvenience. We never got your name, but we’ll never forget your kindness.
To our three Carifta supporters: Thank you for your patience, your understanding, your humor, and your willingness to continue exploring with us even after that chaotic start. Your beautiful energy made every moment – even the stressful ones – a joy.
And to the nephew who competed at Carifta 2025: You may not have won a medal, but you had family who loved you enough to travel internationally, survive a van towing, and cheer for you anyway. That’s a different kind of victory.
Looking for airport pickup and drop-off services in Trinidad? Book through the Tebet Tours website, Viator, or Tripadvisor. We promise reliable transportation – and if things go sideways, we promise to handle it with grace, find solutions, and probably turn it into a memorable adventure.
Simple transfers or full experiences, we’ve got you covered. Van towing incidents not guaranteed, but if they happen, we’ll figure it out together.
Sak pase, Trinidad! Ready for your adventure?