Istanbul taxi driver who bilked a Saudi tourist by taking him on an extended unneeded joy ride, that zigzagged between the Asian and European sections of the city, will have to spend next 10 years in prison.

The unwarranted time wasted in the cab not only ran up the meter, but caused the tourist to miss his flight home.

Saudi visitor filed a grievance with Turkish authorities before leaving the country, that resulted in a 10-year prison sentence for the cabbie, who claimed that he simply became “confused” about the route, according to Hurriyet newspaper.

Lately, taxi swindles have become epidemic in Turkey.