Category: Rants

Dammit!! Fine Tune the #@$%^& Taxi Surcharge System, NOW!!

Leave a comment

I doubt this is going to be published by ST, but I have gotta get it off my chest anyway. Here’s the letter I sent them:

I refer to the letter, ‘Retain call bookings but abolish surcharge’ (ST, Dec 7). I believe it would be unrealistic to completely abolish surcharges while expecting taxi companies to maintain the call booking service. Why punish taxi companies for something that is a result of the surcharge system?

However, since passengers can’t help but believe that cabbies are given too big a carrot by the surcharge system while no viable stick is keeping them in check, the surcharge system must be further fine-tuned. The reason being that not only passengers attempting to flag down a cab are penalised by the surcharge system, even passengers who booked for a cab can some times suffer from it.

Let me first relate several bad experiences I have with call bookings. They usually happen if it is 15 minutes before the peak hour surcharges kick in. I shall keep the company’s name out of this since this would happen no matter which one I called. It all happens this way:

A booking confirmation for a cab is receive about 10 minutes before peak hour. But after 15 minutes of waiting, the cab didn’t turn up and I will have to call the operator to inquire about my ‘lost’ cab. And as if that isn’t bad enough, the operator told me she was unable get hold of the cabbie who took my booking or this particular cab is now too far away from my pick up location. To her credit, she offered to get me another cab. Since it isn’t the her fault that the cab didn’t turn up, I will just allow her to find me another, which means now I have to pay the $4 peak hour booking surcharge plus another $2 as my trip starts during peak hour. By the time the second cab arrives, I would have wasted a total of 20 – 25 minutes of my precious time. On top of that I now have to pay an extra $3.50 in surcharges because of one irresponsible cabbie. And if you asked me why I didn’t try flagging down a cab instead, let me just say that if I could I wouldn’t be calling for one in the first place!

Thus, I suggest that cabs must arrive within the time span it indicated during the call booking, so cabbies who arrive late will lose the call booking surcharge. This will subject cabbies to the mercy of traffic conditions and make it fair to the waiting passenger as well. I believe this can be easily done since the satellite booking system can track the distance of the cab from the pickup point and the time the call is confirmed can be logged.

I understand that there would be concerns that accident rate for cabbies might go up because they might rush to arrive within the time required. A good way to prevent this would be to remove the current multi-tiered waiting time for call booking, ensure that the cab is about 5 – 10 minutes travel distance from the caller, and given them 10 – 15 minutes from booking confirmation to arrive at the pick up point. For the cabbies who insists that this system is stacked against them, they can always stick to street pickups.

Next, make it a punishment for irresponsible cabbies who failed to turn up to pick up passengers after taking up a booking. A good way is to lock his the satellite booking console for an hour or two to bar him from accepting bookings within that period.

I understand that a system in already in place against drivers who constantly ignored call bookings so it is not impossible to have such a system in place. On top of that, the company should charge whatever fee it would have earned from the failed booking to the cabbies who failed to turn up. I believe this is a fair system to compensate the taxi company since either their phone operators have to face the wrath irate passengers or having to deal with their written complaints later.

This is a win-win solution that can be considered since taxi companies will not need pass the cost of operating the call booking system to the passengers or the cabbies because fares and rental costs can be kept as they are.

It was nothing but a veiled threat…

7 comments

This irritating letter to VOICES on today’s ‘Today’ really got me and a number of my friends all riled up after reading it. While I only sent these to some of my friends in the afternoon, it managed to spoil the morning for the few of us who actually read it on our own before that. Article as follow:

Give foreign talent equal dues
Why treat overseas employees differently?

Letter from Robyn M Speed

I refer to the report, “Permanent Residents debate price of citizenship”, (Dec 5).

One might argue that Singapore citizens in other countries should not be entitled to the same benefits as the citizens of those countries. It is only fair that they pay full health costs and pay more for education.

If they want the same treatment as citizens, they should take up citizenship in that country.

It should not matter if Singaporeans have been living in Australia, New Zealand, or the United States for a decade or more… they should not get the same rights as the citizens. They should expect to pay more.

It is only fair. Right?

I bet you would say no; that if you do the work, you should get fair and equal treatment. Yet, that is what Singapore wants to do to foreigners here.

You want the top professionals in the world to come and work here, to build Singapore as the top research place in the world, the top education hub. Yet you want to hold them distant, to treat them as second to the locals.

Surely these foreigners are working for Singapore and her citizens, to build your country and economy, to add to your markets and prestige.

Some come here, with their families, for career opportunities. They pay rent at the market rate for a condo apartment, their children attend an international school (because they want a sense of continuity for their children’s education). Add up these costs and they are paying a lot of money, while supporting Singapore’s economy.

Why do these foreign employees come here? Because the employer decided that they were the best person for the job.

Singapore is a small country and it is difficult for anyone to have the same experience as a worker who has travelled the world, worked in massive markets and learnt from the top people in their fields.

I am an expat. We all have a bond with our homeland and to turn one’s back on it is considered to be almost despicable by many. Our homeland is our home in the world… you cannot lightly ask a person to give that up.

Singapore wants to be an international hub of research, education, tourism and so on. And yet, this latest move smacks of: “You are welcome to come, but…”

Foreigners are either welcome or they are not.

And beware, for there are always other markets for these people to go to.

The Chinese have a saying: 人先自侮，然后人侮之！[One first lose his self respect and others will humiliate him thereafter.]

This letter is nothing more than a veiled threat and I don’t take threats kindly. But ever since the Tali-PAP gover-min continually put Singaporeans down, and keep calling these foreigners ‘talents’ and make them feel like they like they are so damned important that we can’t live without them, we sowed the seeds of our own humiliation. In other words, this is nothing but a self invited humiliation [自取其辱].

I am ignorant so I do not know of any other country that treats foreigners just like their citizens. In fact, just on the matter of health care alone, my friend Jimmy has to buy a Health Insurance when he took up his studies in Canada. Just what makes this fellow think simply by living here, he should also deserve all that we deserved is beyond me.

Don’t forget that it is this country may call them ‘talents’ today but he should be reminded that when the day comes that his ‘talents’ becomes obsolete, this country wouldn’t hesitate to give him the boot, and I’ll be glad to do all the kicking.

Either way, let me take apart some of his fallacious arguments:

  1. “Surely these foreigners are working for Singapore and her citizens, to build your country and economy, to add to your markets and prestige.”

    One of my friends said something to this effect (though his example was way more crude), “Look, if I am going to be paid to several times what is equal my current pay in a country far away, and the food would cost a fraction of what I paid for here, why wouldn’t I go?

    In other words, I beg to differ. If Singapore didn’t offer some of these chow angmoh a better deal than where they were originally, why would they move? If the opportunities here isn’t better, why would they move? In other words, surely, they are working for themselves, to build their own career and to add to their own CV and improve their future employability.

    I ain’t born yesterday so quit trying to make me believe they have sacrificed much for my country, and that’s not mentioning that there are other sacrifices which male Singaporeans have to made to make this country a viable location of employment for him – for e.g. National Service. Above which,, if Singapore didn’t already have a certain market and a certain level of prestige, why would f*ckers like him come here? Would he for once consider, say, Mugabe’s Zimbabwe?

    By the way, just what foreign talents were there building our nation when we got booted from Malaysia in 9 Aug 1965?

  2. “Some come here, with their families, for career opportunities. They pay rent at the market rate for a condo apartment, their children attend an international school (because they want a sense of continuity for their children’s education). Add up these costs and they are paying a lot of money, while supporting Singapore’s economy.”

    Wow. Am I supposed to be grateful here? Are you saying you would get a better deal if you stayed at home? Need I say if you are earning enough to pay for all that then why the hell do you even dare demand the same benefits we have? Why not you share some of your wealth with me then if you also want the benefits I get, and I’ll share with you… my National Service liabilities?

    Just why the hell can’t you leave your families back home if you are so concerned with the continuity of your children’s education? What about the foreign workers like Filipinos and Indonesian maids, Chinese, Thai and Bengladeshi workers leave their families – and also children – behind and came all alone? Aren’t these people actually making even more sacrifices than you? I think they are even more deserving of our benefits than you do, you sonuvabitch!!

  3. “Why do these foreign employees come here? Because the employer decided that they were the best person for the job.”

    Oh really? Wanna try quit your job and see if your employer can’t put someone at a lower pay on your job after that? Or even employ two people for your pay and yet they do a better job? After all, maybe in your own country there are people with your kind of qualifications on waiting list in some of our head hunter companies already.

    FYI, there is no more iron rice bowls in Singapore and in employment no one is indispensable.

    I can understand that if an MNC wants to put their future lea-duhs on a tour of their branches and there’s not much I can say about that. However, those MNCs also contribute to our FDI [foreign direct investments] and provide employment for Singaporeans. I will be grateful and I’ll welcome these companies but don’t expect me to welcome you because you happened to be from the same country these companies originated.

  4. “I am an expat. We all have a bond with our homeland and to turn one’s back on it is considered to be almost despicable by many. Our homeland is our home in the world… you cannot lightly ask a person to give that up.”

    Then don’t. Is there someone forcing you with your life or something?

    You simply cannot expect to keep asking my country to give while you refused to give anything for a trade off.

    And no, your skills and talents don’t count as what you give because you aren’t working for free nor are you a charity.

  5. “Foreigners are either welcome or they are not.”

    I’ll welcome foreigners anytime, as failing to provide hospitality is considered rude in mosts parts of the world.

    But your kind can go if you think we owed your a living or that we won’t get anywhere without you.

  6. “And beware, for there are always other markets for these people to go to.”

    Tell me something I don’t already know! Now if you are that great, just stick your lousy threat up your assh*le where the sun never shines and take the next plane out of this nation.

    And good riddance to bad rubbish!

Kids Getting Hurt…

5 comments

30 stitches for girl who ran into wall at food court

I REFER to the article, ‘Girl gets fracture, gash from water-slide ride’ (ST, Nov 23), and the recent reports on young children getting injured by escalators.

I thank The Straits Times for informing the public about all these incidents so that parents can be forewarned about the potential danger at these places and avoid them.

I cannot help but notice that there is a sudden surge in accidents involving young children.

Perhaps establishments are getting more lax and do not consider safety issues involving children. Hence they fail to notice potential danger zones and structures that could cause serious injuries to children, even though they do not pose any danger to grown-ups as adults with their mature spatial awareness and motor skills can avoid these hazards easily.

My daughter also met with a nasty accident recently.

My family, together with three other families with children were at the Biopolis Food Court for dinner. When we were about to leave, my daughter, while running towards us, ran into the edge of a wooden wall and the sharp 90-degree corner cut open her forehead, exposing the bone beneath.

She bled profusely from the vertical 5cm-long gash so we rushed her to the National University Hospital’s A&E department where she was admitted and underwent surgery.

She received more than 30 stitches. Thankfully, she did not suffer any fracture of the skull as we had initially feared – the attending doctor had said this was possible as the cut was very deep.

While the wooden wall may add aesthetic value, was it structurally necessary? Even if it is, do the corner edges have to be so sharp?

JTC, the owner of the premises, and Foodbank Pte Ltd, the operator, have certainly failed to ensure that the design of the premises is safe for families with children.

I share this in the hope that all parents could be forewarned about the danger spot at Biopolis Food Court should they dine there someday.

Alinna Chan Lai Kuen (Ms)

I also cannot help but noticed that there is a sudden surge in accidents involving young children and I have had quite a bit of a hard time figuring out why because I am not a parent. However, I do believe that the real problem doesn’t lie with the kids or the location, but with the parents themselves.

I remembered clearly my friend Peter wrote this on MSN chat when we talked about the incident in which a kid lost a toe at the escalator, “My son will never go near the escalator.” And the reason is obvious. Peter disciplines his son whenever he does something dangerous or outrageous, for e.g. running around in a food court, playing near the escalator, putting stuff other than food and tidbits into the mouth, or when the boy is rude to elders like the granny.

Contrast that to just another parent – whom I do not know – at the Food Junction food court at Raffles City the other day when I met my friend Jimmy for dinner. While his wife is away to get some food, his two kids were running around a walkway where people carrying their food – some of it hot soup – will be walking about. All this father did was repeatedly telling the kids to sit down and yet took absolutely no physical action. And needless to say, the two little brats couldn’t care less nor heed any of his verbal warnings while Jimmy and I looked on helplessly.

I won’t be surprised if some careless soul runs into his kids and spill hot soup onto his kids, the parent would be quick to find fault with that luckless person, and accuse him of being reckless and careless, while forgetting that it is his own responsibilities to keep his own children safe! And all the more such incidents reinforced my opinion that a lot of Singaporean couples are completely incapable of parenting, and at the same time I am glad birth rate is low to spare the planet of more little brats!

On sharing this with another friend Justin on MSN, we both agreed that our parents would have stood up, caught hold of us and forcefully lead us back to our seats when we were kids. If we even dare to throw tantrums, a spanking would definitely be in order right away, or when we get home.

So when I read this letter, I wondered why her child was running towards her. Just how on earth did she let her go so far from her side? I am not surprised if I hear comments like: “You won’t understand until you become a parent.”

And yes, I won’t understand until I become a parent, but I definitely did understand NOW why my parents always warned me – when I was a kid – not to run around because of the danger of hurting myself even when there isn’t even the remotest possibility of me coming to any bodily harm. I also understand NOW why my parents would give me a spanking when I failed to heed their warning.

Guess what? Blessed with responsible parents, I got through my childhood without much injuries and in pretty good health. None of my friends who are properly disciplined as a child end up as an undesirable element – read: criminal – of this society. And when I look at Peter’s boy, I am quite sure he would be a lot more well behaved than a lot of those screeching, whining little brats that I run into more often than not.

And before all you wimpy liberal parents start condemning me, please, I don’t advocate treating your children with excessive violence. But I do believe a little discipline is at times necessary to protect these kids from harm, if not to maintain some kind of social order and keep other adults from being annoyed or disturbed by little screeching monsters. Save your much ‘enlightened’ ideas of ‘reform and reasoning’ for older kids. It’s high time you stop believing that your kid would be some kind of genius who would mature and behave like a responsible adult at 3 years old!!

Yet Another Unpublished Letter…

2 comments

I know most of the time my letters end up in the rubbish bin… but I am a sucker for pain and sometimes some of the idiotic letters on the Stooge Times Forum / Today’s Voices or the featured articles on these papers just really make me mad with the idiots who wrote them.

Here’s yet another one that didn’t make it.


I refer to the article ‘Jam-packed trains here? It’s worse in other major cities’, (Straits Times Forum Online Story, Nov 27).

I felt exasperated whenever comparisons with other cities are made with regard to certain feedback, be it about our public transport system, cost of living, sizes and cost of apartments or even the raise in GST!

Is there a double standard whereby ‘complaints’ are to be silenced by comparing with something worse; but when justifying, for e.g. a director’s pay, it is to be compared with someone who earns more?

In other words, such comparisons are meaningless. They do not solve any problems at all. In fact, such comparisons probably drive more people to take to cars as a prime choice of transport in spite of the amount of money spent on our ‘World Class Transport’.

So far, I have seen comparisons with London, Tokyo, New York, Paris and Rome. May I ask, just how objective are comparisons based on interviews or personal experience? Just what good is such comparisons when Tokyo, New York and London are almost 2 times, or more than 2 times as populated as Singapore?

Furthermore, have we also looked at the frequency of trains during peak hours in these cities and the age of these cities’ subway systems? What about the fares in those other countries? And how about train load during off peak hours? Is it just me that I felt very often, trains looked as if they are at peak hours loads, even at 9:30pm at night? How does that compare to other cities at a similar time?

Please, quit comparing with other cities based on personal experience or opinion. It’s hardly a apple to apple comparison.

Parking Idiots

Leave a comment

Found these parking idiots in a carpark along Aliwal Street on 22 Nov 2006 when I met my friend after work for coffee somewhere near the Sultan Mosque. Wanted to submit them to the Parking Idiots blog but was too lazy to.

When I showed these photos to another friend later, he said these clowns must be rushing off to the Dong Guan (东莞) KTV there to have fun with the China girls and that’s the reason why they can’t be bothered to park properly. After all, when your brain functions have been transferred to your testicles, there just isn’t enough space down there to fit everything the size of your brains.

[Above] These two idiots, SFV1183L and SFB3757Z, are parking in a lorry lot. One of those earth movers should come and park right on top of them.

[Above] SGG1054T deprived 4 motorcyles of their lots. I wondered how many motorcyclists are cursing this guy up to the 18 previous generations.

[Above] This selfish idiot is parking in the carpark alright, but he not in a lot. Not to mention he’s obstructing that narrow bent. He probably suppose he isn’t blocking anyone, but SFA9799T ought to get tail-ended by someone someday to wake up him from being such a inconsiderate prick.

1 … 78 79 80 81 82 … 99