Massive Jams.

Yesterday was a dull and very quiet workday for me. I was caught in many traffic jams which was quite unusual as they happened along most of the expressways that I was in. Long rows of vehicles, bumper to bumper, looks as though the country's vehicles were all spread out on the roads. It was raining earlier and also during peak hours did not help any. I managed to chalk up about 155 kilometres, short of near my normal hundred. Anyway, I could still cover my rental and diesel and made a little pocket money. Hopefully conditions today will improve for the better.
When it rains, I mean pour during the peak hours between 5pm to 8pm, thats when folks just finish work and rushing home, with very heavy traffic flow, roads get all clogged up which ultimately leads to long jams. In addition, with these sort of weather conditions, many accidents occur, including vehicle breakdowns and also, not forgetting about impatience and tempers joining in, thus causing huge massive jams eventually.   

We Know.

In order to be like a Mr. Knowall, taxi drivers need to engage in conversations with their passengers who come mostly from all walks of life. We learn many things from our local passengers, but, firstly about best and popular food stalls in their neighbourhood, their area's present property prices, any new roads or short-cuts they may know best, and information to places of interests still unknown to us. Likewise, we are also being asked generally, similar questions by our passengers, so you see, we share and learn about everything from each other all the time. We also learn from our foreign passengers as well, about their countries, people and their lifestyles or anything else we like to know, at the same time we become their best and instant tourist guides. Hence, in some ways we are alike, we learn and exchange knowledge everytime we meet.

Common Dialogue?

The common questions that would-be passengers always ask before they board my cab goes like this, "Uncle, do you take nets?", "Do you accept Cards?", "Do you have $50 change?", "Uncle, can go 3 places?", and the questions asked as soon as they board, "Can lower air-con, very cold?", "Can wind down window, not feeling well?", "Can go faster, I am late already?". These questions are most likely answered by a "Yes" or an "Ok" or "No problem" from me.
Then there is the "Navigator" who will direct me the route he wants to go, road after road, sitting upright, in the middle and just beside my shoulders, (I will usually remind him to put on the seat belts).
Here comes the "Commander" type, and he goes like this, "Go straight", "Turn right", "Turn left", "Keep left" or "Take a right", "Make a U-turn" and suddenly "Stop!". These directions sometimes require my "Staccato" questions like "Right?", "Left?", "Straight?", "Here?", "Where?" and "Ok?".
Finally, "Best", I get the relaxed and easy going type, "Can", "Anywhere also can", "Whichever way also can", "Up to you" and "Good".
Don't you think these phrases "Catchy"? Goes on and on everyday, have to accept and then, "Like". 

Call for Help.

Made an appointment with a friend this evening to listen and discuss about his family's problem which he is facing. He needs a listening ear and thinks I can be of help maybe even advise him of what he should do to help solve some urgent problems. I have decided to take a break again today but will continue to write tomorrow.

Like a Fairyland.

This year's Orchard Road Christmas lightings looks refreshing with the blue and white lights blending very well. Every year I compare the colour schemes and I think this year looks best. With major renovations to buildings and newly completed ones completed along with nicely widened pedestrian walkways, Orchard Road continues to look a picture, very neat during the day and like a sparkling jewel at night. I enjoy driving along the stretch irregardless of being caught in a jam because the whole place looks so alive, vibrant and beautiful. I feel proud each time I hear good comments, envious praises and exclamations from tourists and foreigners at the Orchard road sight whilst travelling in my cab. 

Its Party Time.

At about a quarter to midnight, I picked up 3 caucasian passengers at Holland Village taxi stand and they wanted to go to Jervois Road. As soon as all were on board, the guy who sat in the front passenger seat with his two pretty and charming lady companions who sat in the back seat, continuously chatting and laughing aloud at the same time when I, being inquisitive, not bashful and not minding my own business, suddenly butted in and enquired which country they were from, as the language they spoke in, sounded unique to me, and the guy smilingly turn to me and replied "Where do you think we are from, have a guess", and I said "Maybe from Switzerland?" and he immediately said "Oh no, I don't like Swiss people! We are from Holland", and the three of them laughed heartily together. From then on, my cab was filled with loud laughter from the four of us as we continuously joked and teased each other throughout the whole journey. I told them that I am a 'nocturnal' creature as I don't sleep at night but only during the day, saying "My eyes become very sharp and clear and I become very wide awake when it is midnight, you know what I mean?" and this Dutchman comicly feign fear and spoke in a frightened voice "Oh oh, no way, I'm not telling you where I live" and all of us screamed and laughed so very loudly. We really had great fun and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly till we finally reach their destination. We were waving and wishing each other goodnight and still laughing as we parted. This was indeed a pleasurable last trip for me as I head for home. Wow, what a happy and fantastic Dutch Trio they turn out to be. How I wish all my last trips end this way all the time.

Amorous Charades.

Fetching male and female foreign workers to their favourite haunts all over Singapore has been a common activity for me throughout my taxi-ing career. Here we have a typical scenario of a male foreign Sri Lankan or Bangladeshi worker, who would hail my cab, directs me to a private residence, park about 30 metres away from a particular house and wait for about 5 minutes or so, while he makes his phone calls to announce his arrival and then from out of nowhere his girlfriend, usually a Phillipina would appear and straightaway board my cab. In this sort of charade, they will often end up at a cheap hotel immediately after, small hotels such as Hotel 81 and Fragrance Hotels located along Balestier Road are usually preferred. Very often, whilst in the cab I can't help but listen to their cheeky and naughty chit-chats, normally in broken English, gigglings and at times noisily grabbing or groping each other.
Who can blame nor criticise their amorous behaviour when these individuals mostly with their spouses living faraway at home overseas, try to overcome their loneliness and need for sex and companionship. These relationships can and have resulted in stabbings and killings when jealousies, passions go hay-wire.

Arrogant and Unreasonable Attitude.

I had not driven much but in one of my trips, ferrying a middleaged female Chinese National, I had a hard time trying to tell her I had not enough small change for her hundred dollar bill she gave to me for the metered fare of $6.50. She could not accept the fact, felt agitated and was very unreasonable speaking in a heavily accented Mandarin tone and in a harsh manner that it was none of her business why I had insufficient change and that I should be more prepared. I asked her nicely if it was alright to proceed to the petrol station down the road at the junction of River Valley Road and Jervois Road to make a small purchase in order to acquire some small change, but she simply refused, saying she was already late, was not her fault at all and starting to raise her voice. I was feeling tired and not in the mood to prolong further this absurd confrontation and so I told her to just pay me whatever loose change she had on her and I will forego the rest. She mumbled, dug into her purse, took out a $2 bill and 35 cents coins, handed them to me and immediately alighted. I drove off quickly, thinking it was just not my day today and decided to head home to get some rest.  

A Very Slight 'Knock'.

Horror of horrors, the slightest knock bumper to bumper with no visible sign of any damage at all to both vehicles, yet I am being penalised and made to pay $1,600/- being amount of the insurance 'excess' clause. This is a great loss I have to bear, and also a very bad start and dissapointing day for me.
In August, along Bras Basah Road just alongside Chijmes, there was a traffic jam with vehicles all clogged up, moving at snail's pace, my right leg slipped a little from the accelerator pedal forcing my cab to lurch forward slightly and lightly bumped into the rear bumper of the vehicle in from of mine. The driver of the front vehicle and I both alighted to see if there was any damage to our vehicles. There were none, and I apologised for the incident and we were both on our way again. I thought that was the end of it all, I even gave my mobile number for contact should there be any discussion needed out of goodwill. True enough, the next day, the driver called me and said his vehicle suffered a slight shift of his bumper. I offered to make good any problems there is but through negotiations, we agreed to make individual insurance reports and my company then continued with offer to repair whatever damages there is at the company's workshop. I felt relieved that everything was in order and left it at that, thinking its all over till I received bill compelling me to pay the excess amount. Shocked and dismayed that this became such a big issue out of only a slight knock on the bumper I have to thrash it out with my taxi company in the next few days.

Unruly Behaviour.

I was very busy yesterday ferrying passengers continuously over long distances. It was later in the night around 11.30pm when I picked up an 'unruly' fortyish looking guy along River Valley Road and he wanted to go to Geylang Lorong 16. He hopped in the front passenger seat, roughly pulled the seat to slide more to the rear and sat in a reclining position. As I started to drive, I noticed that he had not put on his safety belt and when I requested him to strap up, he simply refused and said in Hokkien "Never mind, don't be scared". I told him it is compulsory to do so and again he refused saying, "Just drive and if I get caught, I will pay the fine". The way he spoke and behaved, clearly indicated an unreasonable 'hooliganistic' attitude. I sensed that he must have been drinking and feeling a bit 'high' from his smelling of liquor. Not wanting to pursue an argument which may turn ugly, I decided to ignore and leave him alone. I drove a bit faster to quickly reach his destination and was lucky enough to avoid being stopped by traffic cops along the route. Reaching the corner coffeshop at Lorong 16, he alighted after paying the exact fare and walked off unsteadily.
He gave me a bit of 'hard time' but then it is not uncommon to face unreasonable and nasty commuters in this service profession. As far as I am concerned, I must honestly say that nearly all commuters that I have fetched in my taxi driving years have so far been polite and courteous.