Thanks guys for making my work day an enjoyable one.....

I love ferrying passengers over long trips. 
One such trip was with this happy family of five, from Resorts World Sentosa to Toa Payoh Lorong 7. Daddy and Mummy with three very young children, two boys and a girl, after enjoying a show at RWS and were returning home. The father sat in the front passenger seat with mummy and children sitting behind. Daddy and me were chatting about their outing, family life and mummy and children were talking about food for dinner and lanterns. All of us were like one big family chatting  happily away till we reached the family's destination. I happen to have two extra new lanterns which I gave to the children and they liked it as we bade farewell. Yes, I always feel good to be in the company of a happy family.
Later in the night, about 11pm, I was fortunate again to have picked up this happy couple, going home after watching a show, at the Changi Expo Taxi stand and this was another long distance trip all the way to Jurong West St. 93. This couple had to fetch their seven-year-old son from the grandfather's house and then proceed to their own home at St. 61 nearby. I don't know what happened, but this night I was very talkative. I talked and talked generally about everything, about family, about children, about religion and so on with my passengers throughout the whole trip, I suppose I got carried away somewhat. Luckily this very nice and pleasant couple, did not mind so much because we all laughed together every now and then and it was as though we were like old time friends till its time to part.
True, my next passenger, a young PR Philippino man, working as an IT troubleshooter, had to travel to work from Woodlands to Upper Changi Ind. Park. This was yet another long, long trip coupled with some more happy chit-chatting all the way and I think I may not be able to stop....  its getting late too....... so....... better take five for now........

day in the life of a cabbie.......

An actual account of what I do for a living.

Yesterday, Monday 4th of January, 2010, at 5.10pm, I picked up my first passenger from United Square taxi stand, a young lady who wanted to go to Leonie Hill, my metered fare was $6.70 after that, I drove to Great World City where I picked up another young lady going to Hong Leong Building, her fare was exactly $8.00.

Next, at Shenton Way DBS Building taxi stand, a caucasian man going to Sentosa Cove and his fare was $12.20 from there I drove out to Vivo City taxi stand, time was 7.00pm, sent this lady to Toa Payoh Lor.7 her fare came to $16.00. It was 7.35pm when I queued and waited at Toa Payoh Central taxi stand where I finally drove this young Malay boy to nearby Lor.1 for $3.80 by then it was already 8.05pm. This time, I started cruising slowly towards town and eventually ended up in the queue at Raffles City taxi stand at 8.45pm, imagine, all the way without a single passenger. About 10 minutes later, a Chinese couple boarded my cab to go to Hilton Hotel, fare was $8.30 and thereafter, also from Hilton, a young Indonesian mother with her daughter wanted to go for a ride on the Flyer, their fare was exactly $7.00. I then proceeded to Esplanade Mall taxi stand, time was 9.10pm, I waited till 9.30pm when a young Chinese couple with their two children wished to go to nearby Swisshotel for a fare of $6.00, and immediately after, two middle aged caucasian ladies boarded my cab to go to a Sembawang Road condo after passing Chong Pang area, their metered fare showed $19.60 but this paying lady insisted on giving me $22.00 which I reluctantly accepted. 
It was then about 10pm when I drove towards Mandai Zoo taxi stand to queue, and boy, it was a long, long queue. Anyway, I decided to read my New Paper as I slowly jogged along and finally picked up two European ladies wanting to go to Jalan Besar Road near Petain Road, their fare came to $14.60, it was then that I felt a bit hungry and decided to go to Syed Alwi Road coffee shop to have my dinner, a bowl of prawn mee soup $3.00 and a cup of hot barley drink 80 cts. After eating my meal, I ended up in the long queue at Clarke Quay, it was already 11.50pm when I fetched four young European ladies to Swisshotel for $6.20 and lucky enough for me, after a short wait I ferried this young Chinese girl to Ponggol Central at exactly midnight. Her fare came to $21.90, the time was about 12.30am, I felt quite tired and decided to call it a day. It was a rather unusual day for me as there was'nt much converstions involved throughout my working day. Despite the slowdown in taxi ridership, I still managed a fair but still quite low take home pay, can't complain too much though. 
Thank you for sharing this long journey with your friendly neighbourhood Cabbie and now its time for my cup of "Kopi".