Conversationalist.

Driving a taxi for more than ten years has made me become a natural or maybe even an 'expert' in starting and engaging in conversations with my passengers or for that matter with almost anyone and anywhere. Making my passengers laugh, creating a happy and friendly atmosphere in my 'office', at least once in one way or another, is an interest in which I look forward to create each new day at work.
Everyday, I look forward to listening to all kinds of stories, happy and sad events, learn about new and exciting happenings, about working life, family life, love and romance and each individuals woes and aspirations in life. Its always a learning experience to know something new which I sometimes never thought existed.
Let me put it this way, its like going to school, attending different classes in lessons from unknown lectures from the 'University of Life'. So you see, my particular vocation in the service line is truly exhilarating, beneficial and satisfying for me. Who would have thought being a Taxi Operator is more than just a simple driver or a mere service provider.

Making Friends.

Where in the world can you find a job, that gives you the opportunity to meet up, get to know and also to engage in conversations with people, total strangers, from all over the world especially when your country's Tourism Board keeps up their relentless drive to attract more and more tourists each day.
Yes, the Taxi Driver gets to welcome and make first hand contact with the tourists as soon as they arrive in Singapore. I must say, I am most fortunate to be one such cabby.
Today, after driving for more than ten years, I get a chance to engage in conversation with this pretty and charming young lady from Bolivia, when I ferried her from Hyatt Hotel in Scotts Road to Changi Airport Terminal Two. I have 'travelled' with people of different nationalities, from all walks of life and from so many countries such as Finland, Russia, Poland, Zimbabwe, Turkey, Nepal, Mongolia, Spain, Morroco, Ireland, Jamaica, Chile, Dubai, Mexico, Belgium to name a few, together with many others from more familiar Western countries and nearly all Asian countries as well. So you see, this job of mine gives me the opportunity to get to know, learn and find out what people all over the world are like, even if it is only knowing them in such a short period of time. For instance, I have learnt that in Bolivia, people have at least four names, the first two names belong to them and the last two, their father's and mother's. This is of course quite unique to me. Miss P.A.F.T. (initials only), I hope it is correct, told me her name and it sounded very nice. I also told her, it must be quite a hassle each time she has to fill in her long, long name into small columns in forms that require her to state her full name.
Wow! I continue to keep learning things which I am totally unaware of. It is truly a pleasure and delight to be able to chat and befriend people from all over the world. I am happy and proud to be a cabbie.

watching entertaining parades everyday......

The world is a stage and we are all its players, how true!
Do you realise when you cross the road at traffic junctions and pedestian crossings, all eyes are on you from inside of their vehicles, including passengers and also those on board buses. You are the performers and we, the drivers and passengers are the audience, the critics and the admirers. I am very priviledged to be a regular participating audience watching parades (f.o.c) everyday whilst working.
Each time I stop at a road junction, I get to see a fashion parade of sorts, such as beauty queens, colourful attires on all shapes and sizes, an array of walking styles, show of fantastic colour hairdos, etc. And most delightful of all, the sight of unabashed individual home-grown amateur actors and actresses performing their conversations with their handphones at the same time displaying distinct hand, head and body gestures, I tell you, its truly a sight to behold almost at all different venues. These parades actually keep me refreshed and fully awake always as I have to drive continuously for hours at a stretch. A great entertainment incentive and value for work which I cannot ask for elsewhere.......

the answer is "Yes".......

"Miss, going home after work?" it was about 10.30pm, "Yes". "You must have waited for quite sometime?" the passenger queue was very long, "Yes". "Do you always work this late?" "Yes". "I mean everyday?" "Yes". "By the time you reach home it would probably be around 11.00pm" "Yes". "Oh, this is no good, I think there is an accident up ahead thats why traffic is so heavy and moving so slowly, should we divert?". "Yes". "We better exit by Eng Neo Avenue and continue along Bukit Timah Road is it okay?" "Yes". This passenger is not anxious nor agitated at all, she appears to be unfazed and remained 'cool'. Exceptional, I thought, I had to ask her once more. "Miss, I think you must be very tired because you don't talk so much" "Yes". Oh oh, better keep my trap shut and just drive. We reached her destination not long after. "Your fare is $12.10, just give me $12.00 will do and would you need a receipt?" 'Yes". "Okay, here you are, thank you and goodnight". "Yes" she smiled. Hhhh???? What a great conversationalist, the "Yes" lady, and last night, throughout the rest of my shift, I kept thinking I should have left her alone instead of being such an 'irritant', at the same time I thought, perhaps, I could be the one trying to relax by making small talk.....

how's the going ?.....

"How's your luck today?"
"Ah, no good lah, lost few hundred dollar.. when win always a little bit but when lose, plenty plenty. Cannot win money in casino one lah!"
"Then, why you always come?"
"Aiyah, maybe one day got luck can hit Jackpot what."
This is a typical answer I get with my usual way of greeting passengers, men and women, young or old at both casinos, the MBS and RWS, and most times I get negative results but of course there are the occasional elated winners with tales of good luck and many many losers with big 'IFs'. Winners will show you a bit of extra tips like 'keep the change', and losers, what do you think? Well, picking up commuters at these two joints gives me an additional surcharge of $3 in earnings but I don't normally queue at these places unless I happen to be in those vicinities. Conversations with these passengers are always very interesting, continuous with lots of sighs, exclamations of big losses and many stories of missed 'Big' jackpots couple with 'Top Tips' and 'Winning Systems' and what have you. You can see how excited and spontaneous when they chat and we really enjoy much laughter throughout the journey. I look forward to these kind of trips, they make my day...........

Conversations 'start-ups' made easy.........

Hot topics most talked about or discussed between me and my passengers lately have been about the menacing Loan Sharking activities with their unending or unstoppable harrassments, Crimes of Passion, cruel Murders of young children and most recently about Muslims' objections and forbidding Christians to use the sacred word "Allah" and terrorising Churches in Malaysia and also a lot about the common maid abuses and Greedy local Citizens being continuously caught in various types of "Scams". 
These subjects are interestingly "gossipy", very sensational and wide-spread among the local community and most of all, for Cabbies, the easiest to start up conversations which makes for comfortable and quick dispatch of passengers because before any suggestions or arguments can be made, for or against, between us, the destinations arrive too soon. We are never lacking in surprises with each passing day. In fact, news about something very 'sensational' happening is becoming endless and too overloaded such as, with Beckham 'dropping' his shorts, Tiger's sexy lifestyle together with countless scandals, Idol's sarcastic and most loved personality quitting the Hit show, racial discrimination of Indians 'down under', North Korea's and Iran's Nuclear 'obsessions, surge of Pirates attacks and kidnapping activity, Weather changes and more and more of Nature's vicious "Attacks" and encounters with all types of Flu's, Viruses imaginable, then the arrival of our most talked about Integrated Resorts, Casinos and Hotels and what have you........... 
But right now, for me, "Coffee is Best!".