Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Taxi Drivers
I guess by looking at the title, you know the tirade that's gonna come! Yeah.. Taxi drivers.. love them or hate them (usually the latter) you are at their mercy once u are in the cab! They are a menace on the roads and a threat to public safety! If you are a cab driver, or who have friends that are cab drivers, I apologize. But unfortunately, I have been in one to many cabs which have given me bad experiences! In a total of two weeks, I have already accumulated 4 incidences:
1) Was going to Fort Rd from work for blading. So naturally hailed a cab as it was the most convenient and time efficient way. OH MY GOD... the cab driver thinks he is in 2 fast 2 furious. He speeds even when it is a short distance. The constant change in inertia was enough reason for me to want to puke. Doesn't signal and cuts into lanes. Knows that we are going to make a turn but waits till the last minute to cut 3 lanes (I'm talking less than 50m away from the bend). And the ultimate: He drives in on coming traffic. I was literally breaking out in cold sweat and hanging on to my seat! Made me appreciate life more when I alighted...
2) Was at Sim Lim buying 2 amplifier microphones. After much waiting, managed to hail a cab. I opened the door to load up the microphones first. Closed the door and walked at the back of the taxi to board via the other door. And guess what? Blur uncle drives off without me... with goods in tow... Only consolation? He stopped about 100 metres away. Me? Chasing after a bloddy cab in 2.5 inch heels with a crowd looking at you at the Junction of Sim Lim is not exactly my idea of FUN...
3) had to go to Hill Street to buy stuff.. Uncle doesn't even know where the place is.. goes for a few rounds, gives up, decides to drop me and my friend off at Chijmes (we had to pay the full fare btw). FYI, in the end, the place was a stone's throw from my office...
4) Had to go to Mediacorp studios for a recording session. Took a cab. When he arrived at the lobby, the fare was S$7.80. I gave a fifty and asked for a receipt. He wrote the receipt and returned me the change. Guess what? in the receipt, he wrote it as $8. When I pointed out to him that the fare was $7.80, he mumbled something (I can't hear, must be the thick mustache, he's a Singh). And gave me the $0.20. At this point, my friend who had alighted was wondering what's the hold up. She asked "Is everything alright"? Mr Singh replied irritatedly "Ya ya, just that she wants her $0.20. F@#k u. I am not a charity. I don't see why you have to earn that $0.20. You fetch 50 customers and pull the same stunt, u earn $10 just by taking ur own sweet time to return change. If you want to make it convenient to return change, why don't you just round down?
I am not condemning all taxi drivers. I have met taxi drivers who are really nice and good. Some I even talk to them like old friends. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of them around. And with the government training taxi drivers to be tour guides as well... I don't know if tat's such a good idea after what I have been through...
1) Was going to Fort Rd from work for blading. So naturally hailed a cab as it was the most convenient and time efficient way. OH MY GOD... the cab driver thinks he is in 2 fast 2 furious. He speeds even when it is a short distance. The constant change in inertia was enough reason for me to want to puke. Doesn't signal and cuts into lanes. Knows that we are going to make a turn but waits till the last minute to cut 3 lanes (I'm talking less than 50m away from the bend). And the ultimate: He drives in on coming traffic. I was literally breaking out in cold sweat and hanging on to my seat! Made me appreciate life more when I alighted...
2) Was at Sim Lim buying 2 amplifier microphones. After much waiting, managed to hail a cab. I opened the door to load up the microphones first. Closed the door and walked at the back of the taxi to board via the other door. And guess what? Blur uncle drives off without me... with goods in tow... Only consolation? He stopped about 100 metres away. Me? Chasing after a bloddy cab in 2.5 inch heels with a crowd looking at you at the Junction of Sim Lim is not exactly my idea of FUN...
3) had to go to Hill Street to buy stuff.. Uncle doesn't even know where the place is.. goes for a few rounds, gives up, decides to drop me and my friend off at Chijmes (we had to pay the full fare btw). FYI, in the end, the place was a stone's throw from my office...
4) Had to go to Mediacorp studios for a recording session. Took a cab. When he arrived at the lobby, the fare was S$7.80. I gave a fifty and asked for a receipt. He wrote the receipt and returned me the change. Guess what? in the receipt, he wrote it as $8. When I pointed out to him that the fare was $7.80, he mumbled something (I can't hear, must be the thick mustache, he's a Singh). And gave me the $0.20. At this point, my friend who had alighted was wondering what's the hold up. She asked "Is everything alright"? Mr Singh replied irritatedly "Ya ya, just that she wants her $0.20. F@#k u. I am not a charity. I don't see why you have to earn that $0.20. You fetch 50 customers and pull the same stunt, u earn $10 just by taking ur own sweet time to return change. If you want to make it convenient to return change, why don't you just round down?
I am not condemning all taxi drivers. I have met taxi drivers who are really nice and good. Some I even talk to them like old friends. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of them around. And with the government training taxi drivers to be tour guides as well... I don't know if tat's such a good idea after what I have been through...
# posted by Xallista @ 11:20 PM 
