Had notice the Chrysler at Fullerton Hotel twice. Maybe they have contract there.

Oops...did not see the 'extracted from the TODAY newspaper' part.

I mean if you mod. would speak, I would go support.

And that's coming from a Singaporean.  What about visitors to our country, they look at me, the taxi driver as if I had taken them for a ride. How do you explain to them our surcharges, it is going to take some real convincing for them to understand why when they come it was only $4 and to go back it costs $10.

Please do so at the Speaker's Corner; let me know and I will come to support you.

Anyway, what do you think of a flat flag down fare of $6 (at least) and no surcharges, even midnight surcharge.

Progress.......bigger and roomier, luxurious and classier.......somebody's gonna pay for it.  Who?

So many taxis on the roads now. Every night the queues of taxis seen at the airport and nightspots are horrendous.  Reduce the number of taxis and I won't mind paying higher rental.  Pay low rent but hunt like f*ck for customers.

Those on PIE (towards Jurong) overhead bridges near Toa Payoh sometimes are aimed at side road leading towards Thomson where the speed limit is only 50km/hr.

Flyover from Tampines Ave 10 to Kaki Bukit; mobile TP parked on side with speed gun after bend.

Our expressway speed limits are too low. 90km/hr and motorists travel at 70km/hr, should increase to 110km/hr then motorists will travel at 90km/hr.  Better still no limits and those who cannot make it don't use the expressways.

no offence to those crown drivers… purely my preference

 

helloooo ALviN, don't be apologetic, the crown is truly indeed very noisy. When I'm finished driving the crown (another 15 months) I should be quite deaf by then. Anyway I like the crown for it's 'vintage' look.

Let's say Comfort wants to expand their taxi business; Singapore can take only so many taxis (presently should be about 25000 nos.) Anymore new taxis would create a oversupply. As it is today, looking at ridiculously long queues of taxis at taxi stands and especially the airport, the saturation point has been reached.

What would Comfort do?  Increase rentals to garner more revenue, which they already did in the pretext of 'new' taxis namely Sonatas. They can also acquire another existing taxi company and take over their fleet thereby having more taxis themselves.  How many taxis does SMRT has? Is SMRT Taxis doing well so far?

Aln, don't like that leh, I'm still driving a 'stupid looking crown', but it is no matter what better than MRT... sure got seat , in fact if riding alone you get more than one seat. With MRT you most probably be standing all the way to your destination.

Think Comfort will buy over (merge with) another of the other smaller taxi companies? And if they do, which will be likely be the one?

 

Frequently get requests,

"Uncle can you drive faster, I' late for.........".

"Please wait, my friend haven't come yet.".

For locals, when they made requests and you comply and at end of journey, not even a word of thanks.  10cents change also must take.

Ang Mo told me to wait, I waited 15mins, fetched him to airport, $31 fare and he gave me $50 and said keep the change and he said thanks for waiting.

Ang Mos said they must book into camp at Naval Base at 2359, please hurry. We reached base with 7 mins to spare. They paid using credit card and gave me $20 cash as tips.

Now when locals made requests like drive faster,  me no 'hue' or ask them to take another taxi. Not the money but their attitude that I dislike. Once I speed for this young man, I kena radar camera from TP on roadside, reached his destination paid his exact fare and quickly disappeared. 

 

Ever get pax who sigh "Wah lao eh, another new driver!" 

Ask them when they start out their new job, did they straight away start as manager or must learn their way up.

But be polite and don't offend them.

Go bookstore and buy Mightty Minds' "Public Transport Map". Less than $10. Different from street directory where you see only sections. This one unfold into big map where you can see whole towns and estates.

Then everyday when going toilet for business, bring along and look see. See the routes you took yesterday and you may understand more.

Most I press 5 mins, some 7 mins, like at Clementi get call from Pandan Loop.

Got a call from a house in Cheng Soon Gdns, reached before 5 mins, stopped in front of house. Can see people inside. They can see me too. I waited 3 mins, no reaction from people inside. Checked address again, correct leh. Call no., ring for quite a while, can see man walking slowly to phone. Feeling fed-up I hung up, don't want to talk to him. Wait for no-show to come up on screen and press. Off I drive, can see someone running down the stairs. Bo-chap, I drive off.

Should have courtesy of at least waving at me and signal to wait. I sit there like goondu, and they just don't care.

This one really cao, big STINK. Young pax vomit in my taxi.

My hand all wet, slimy and sticky. Holding my breath all the while.

Damn petrol station tap set to low to save water, took soooo long just to fill some water. Took me 1hr. to clean up.

Later got to drive with windows opened and also spray perfume.

Phooooi!!

 

I love the tyres, can drift the car when cornering, can slide the car when braking, no need to do 3 point turn just pull handbrake, raining lagi best, car don't go where you want to go. So exciting, keeps me awake.

 At 2 am in the morning,  had a call at Block ---- at Kallang Airport. When I turn into the block, call cancelled. So turn out of the carpark and there was this man who flagged me. I did not stop and carry on.

Happened a few times before, so coincidental that call cancelled and you have customer flagging. During daytime maybe but in the am. ?!!!

Baddie cabbie also needs protection. We split half, half.....5000volts can?

A chinese man with beard like those in kung-fu movies. Stout and tough looking with streetwise look. If he wears a kung-fu style shirt it would be perfect for him but he has on a big baggy T-shirt. Very menacing looking man.

He immediately boarded (front seat) my taxi after the previous customer had alighted.

(All in Hokkien) "KNLBCCB, sibei tulan taxi don't stop for me! All waiting for calls is it!"

Wah liao, si liao, how to handle him.  Best is to make friendly with him and hope he has sympathy (most kung-fu people in movies can empathise with suffering peasant), explain taxi driving hard to make a living, most have to come all the way empty from far away towns to city to pick up next fare thereby wasting time and fuel so they try to make up by taking calls. Tell him he look very macho with the beard and all, not easy for me to grow beard because my whiskers are sparsely populated, how I wish to have a beard like his. Pay him many compliments. At last he cooled down.

He proudly told me he was the first in Singapore to be convicted for road-rage. He slashed and stabbed victim with knife and was jailed. He still feels the victim had asked for it. (Which I personally agree, there are people who really asked for it, sibei lau lan, don't know what tiger they are facing.)

He confesses he likes to fight and had learn kung-fu from books and movies and how he can keep calm while fighting, able to 'siam' his opponents' attacks with or without weapons.

"Come, let me teach you a few moves."

He promptly took my left arm and twisted it before I can say no.

"You must know where to hit your opponent where he is to hurt most."

Poked below my ribs and I let out a yell.

"I have use only minimal strenght and you yell, this shows how effective it is."

"Please, let me learn from you next time we meet, now I'm driving and I have to concentrate." I changed the subject and asks how he likes to go to Leng Kee at a cross junction.  "We can go from here or you like to take another route?"

He told me another route which baffles me. Anyway I don't wish to discuss which is the 'correct' route with him. So I told him to direct me as we go along.

Another BIG SURPRISE when we nears his destination. I had asked him before is it Leng Kee where there's a lot of cars for sale and he had said yes. 

We ended up at  Leng Kie Car Dealers along Commonwealth Ave.

All in all he is actually a very nice man when we get talking. Really do not mind meeting him again, not purposely but if fate arranged it.

 

 

 

 

What about press button, passenger seats get 10000volts of electricity!

For me driving the night shift, in fact I had less customers but the higher fares made up for it.  Business had not pick up overall. Commuting timings has also changed, eg. before cinderella hours there would be a frenzy of customers hailing cabs but when midnight charging time starts the streets are deserted.

That;s why time is precious, before midnight must at least make some money, there after it's lucky draw, queue here, queue there and hope for a long distance fare.

Now I carry marker with me, put their names and nos. in public toilets.

knn! kena 4 noshows past week. Customers treating us like spare tyres. Wait at taxi stands, roadsides, infront of houses and shophouses, book taxis and when first taxi arrives they take it. They think save their time but waste our time.

Some even call 2 or 3 taxi companies.

WTF!

May be he has a portable potty in your cab !

I would prefer cashless payments too. More convenient, no need to give change and less trips to the bank.

Between 10am to 4pm, to take in $30 per hour, you need to be very lucky.

Poolman, dying young or dying cock standing is not the problem, when cannot die but saddled with kidney disease, gastric disease, stroke etc, then.......VERY BIG PROBLEM. Somemore cannot work but still got to pay medical bills.

These figures were said to be taken from taxi meters and a survey of 300 cabbies by Comfort.

Me think Comfort must say we cabbies have benefited from the fare increase or they (Comfort and Transport Miniistry) will look very bad after their decision to increase fares. Killing 2 birds with one stone, makes them looks good and at the same time possibly clear their stock of unrented taxis.

Anyway a normal driver putting in regular and some OT hours  will not see this kind of salary unless 'Ti Kong' is with him/her always.