Taxis and Human Nature

The next time I hear any taxi driver say that business is bad, I'm going to royally, publically DISS the bugger. In fact, I'll drag him out of the seat, screaming and kicking, and crucify him for blasphemy and sacrilege.

Warn your friends, your relatives, or any taxi drivers that you'll be meeting. Edmund is on a rampage.

I tried giving taxi drivers the benefit of doubt. I attempted to be understanding, and see how I can rationalize the actions of the cab driver, to being the poor downtrodden masses trying hard to make a living for their 3 screaming children and faithful doe-eyed wife.

I gave up.

I am sure that most cab drivers in Singapore are hardworking, nice, people who are trying to make a living, but get their asses kicked by the evil cab companies who up their rent over and beyond what is humanly tolerable. I am even sure that the accounts department for the cab companies can squeeze water from a rock, or rebates from the IRAS.

But there will be some STUPID, IRRESPONSIBLE, PIG HEADED, SLOBS who slack off like CRAZY, piss off all those people willing to pay, and after that, complain that they cannot make a living.

Take this morning for example. I try, SOO hard to get a cab. I counted at least 3 EMPTY cabs, no ON CALL sign, no BUSY, no SHIFT CHANGE signs, but when I attempt to flag them down, they took a nice long look at me, then carried on driving.

DUDE! I am SURE I don't stink. Neither do I look like a serial killer that pretends to be a passenger then murders them for their cash card when I get on the cab.

Then I found out why. The reason, according to one of the nice, normal, hardworking cabby, is cos these people are waiting FOR CALLS. Yeah, they want that extra $3 when you get onto the cab.

Arseholes. Truth be told, what's the opportunity cost of NOT picking people up? It's gonna cost wayy more than just the $3. 15 minutes between calls, during rush hour can mean one or maybe 2 full cab rides. That's at least $5-10 bucks out the window.

For $3, you throw away $5? Hmm... what's the logic in that? THEN they blame the world for their starving kids.

And all those cabs that do not go into the CBD simply cos it'll cost an extra S$1 to get customers. Regardless of the sheer number of people waiting for cabs on the other side of the gantry... they will rather waste time, enerygy, petrol to drive around, than to spend that $1 and actually make a living.

So the next time I hear one cabby complain about business being bad, I'm gonna slaughter him. Blood's gonna flow.