rich taxi drivers

last SG · 2011-12-16T17:31:59+00:00

yah lor bro ~~~~ muz relax n be happy~~~~eh tonite me maybe goin to this place next to coronation plazacalled "My Little Spanish Place" wan to join me??Your...

jnyt SG

Compare them to taxi drivers in Hong Kong or Bangkok where passengers have no problem getting a taxi at any time, even late at night, with no additional surcharges to boot.

These taxi drivers should really 'wake up their idea'.

Bangkok where passengers have no problem getting a taxi at any time, even late at night, with no additional surcharges to boot. i laugh at it when i see this sentense!

TD everywhere same same one lah, I am talking about Bangkok. If you want to go Chinatown or anywhere in town in the evening taking cab. Most cab driver will say no meter. If you finally get one willing to on meter, you will find your journey super long and very uncomfortable. If you try to be smart telling them which way to go, see what kind of treatment you will get in the journey. Don’t urge with them, Thai is famous for smile, but hopefully you don’t see the Thai change face, you will remember for life! In Bangkok, before boarding taxi, you have to ask the driver if he wants to go to the place you go. It is not like Singapore, just hop into one without changing shift, go anywhere, we can’t say no. If you destination is some ulu place, most driver like to tell you no meter because it is other province, it is up to them to state the price. Many drivers are not from Bangkok, they came from other province, and you think it is safe? If you have wife and kids wants to take cab, the driver is usually not that men in the driver’s photo! not to mention their driving skill, ha ha, so much Better than our s'pore driver!

bowah SG

I think you hv to look at the demograhpic and the economy of thailand and singapore, do you notice that in thailand, the women are doing all the jobs more than men, the men just sit there and smoke, even today, the PM is a women, women do business on the street, women do massagers, women at sex clubs, thailand had a population ration of 4 women is to 1 man, that is why they got many women to spare, women are doing so well that even men also want to turn to women end up the infamous ladyboy names. In thailand, you can do well as a women than being a guy. So, what do the guys, most will drive, drive taxis, drive bus, drive lorry, drive tutu or whatsoever. Therefore, on the street you will see alots of them, their rental is only 400baht per day, good car 500baht, CNG or diesel on their own, so that is why most want to bring you to certain shoppin inorder to get fuel voucher. There is no control car population in Thailand, not even taxis, so you can get a taxis anytime, but that taxis the most per day is gross at $1200 baht, sometime at a lost, because too many of them. Thai had a population of 65 millions, nearly 20 millions are in Bangkok, they got more men to spare than us.

ALN SG

bowah and auntie jade writing stories…

must listen!

Serpent33 SG

Thank you Bowah. Need reminders like this to help me count my blessings. I shall try to remind myself that positive way of looking at miserable salaries can help us get on with life. I think all Singaporeans will benefit from your philosophy. The government of Singapore will benefit even more if every one shares your philosophy. Even better let's ask them to reduce fares. I am sure all of us can still drink kopi. I am a very real person. I don't live in debt. i plan my finances and I don't commit to anything I am unsure of. My own calculations conclude I am earning less than a production operator. I truely appreciate the flexibilty of being a TD. Like I said before, I do believe TD is a decent job that requires skills and exposed to danger. Some are happy doing it for peanuts, others like me think payout should be higher but have got not much other options. Mah Bow Tan did mention this year about increasing Singaporean wages from the mounting resentment. Like I said, the trick is to get as many people to be happy with peanuts, then we can sucessfully suppress everyone's wages.

I believe changes for the better will happen only if everyone thinks the same. I also know the fact I am surrounded by many positive thinkers in Singapore. In real life I do often pretend I am the monkey happy for peanuts just to blend in.

OptimalTrans SG

Singaporean wants availablities of Taxi like Bangkok, Price like India, Service like London.... what else?

When best of both world is impossible, what is the chances of best of 3 or more world?

Actually, there are many sensible Singaporean, but these people choose to remain silent and let those minority whine about. Because we hear whining vs silent, so got the delusion of whiner represent Singaporean.

It is sad, Singaporean criticise each other in all trade; hawker, contractor, property agent, employment, taxi driver, ....etc, even politician are drawn into the turbulence. We are welcoming Foreign Talent policy for such behavior.

It is frustrating to wait for Taxi, in fact to wait for anything. If it is going to be an enjoyment after the waiting, it's still worth waiting. But for Taxi, after waiting, it never an enjoyment to see the driver respond.

As a Taxi driver, we should do our part :

1) Put up the RED sign if you do not intent to pick from that street

2) Ask tactfully if you want to conduct interview. Name a destination before the pax, not ask for destination then tell them NO.

3) Taxi driver though is not a Saleman, but still need a little communication.Learn some communication skill and use it proudly, share it with others driver proudly too.

Alvin87a SG

cleaner earn $100 per day ...jin ho tan!But $100 for rich man...What's is this!!Lau TD got Skill know road well got lobang...Jin ho tan!New green TD,dunno the road,green skill n no lobang...si beh pi tan!Hahah...just like this lor!!u See me good,I see u lagi Good!!

bowah SG

bowah and auntie jade writing stories…

must listen!

When ALN tell jokes,

must listen carefully, within the jokes, lies the best wisdom.

bowah SG

If you are in yr early 30s, yes, i would agree you can do something to change your life, but if you at your 40s and driving TDs, be fated, you call any companies now, and tell them your experiences and other CVs, they will reply good good, but once you mention you at 40++yo, the phone can go blank.............or the famous sentence of "Mr. So, we take note of your number, we are still open for more candidates, will call you once we have closed the application and done the selection. "

So again like it or not, you drive on, and since you know you need to drive on, might as well drive on happily. A TD must learn to motivate and give himself a good pat, there is no one, except you and your family. You are the boss, the HR, the financial director, the driver, the system adviser and the front line customer officer.

jnyt SG

It is sad but also a least it is a blessing our government keep TD job for Singaporean. One angmo tell me in their country all jobs are taking by foreigner, they have to come to Singapore to find chances. He envy us got something to fall back when we are jobless. TD can come and go anytime. Take it as ride cow find horse, no money bring back how to sit at home? Find better job throw key lor!

komade SG

Your off day huh ?

Shiok....

look outside your windows.....

always ....

best stay @ home sleep & relax.... from 22th to year end... me bo eng liao... boss coming down... so now idle at home...

yup today off oic like tat $$ come in liao lor...........

Just_do_it_lah SG

yup today off oic like tat $$ come in liao lor...........

Lucky you....

today rain non-stop....sian..

shouldn't have took a departure @ 7pm... now... lan lan...

komade SG

The employment act stipulated a max of 44 hrs per week, anything more is consider overtime, normal day including saturday and public holiday is 1.5 paid, working on rest day is double paid, and rest only mean Sunday, not public holiday. In most companies HR, their practices is more toward employees and employers relationship, not a hirer and contractor relationship.

TD is consider under contractual Hiring people, they are not employees of Taxi companies, they are the hirers, so it is a leasing and hirer relationship whereby each Taxis companies can draft out their own contractual and its all depend on you, as TD to take up the contract or not, under the laws, you sign with eyes open, not close. Therefore the vulnerability, retrenchment, sick and so on of a TD is not cover as the like of a company's employee.

As a TD, u cannot take comparison with HR policies because you are a HR of yourself. The Taxi companies have the right to remove you without any reason and you can also throw keys without any reason given. Fair? The taxi companies do not owe you anything, and you also do not owe them anything. Fair?

well said bro~~~~

komade SG

Bangkok where passengers have no problem getting a taxi at any time, even late at night, with no additional surcharges to boot. i laugh at it when i see this sentense!

yah totally agree with u sis~~~

komade SG

huh?? wat ride cow find horse??

Sam.seah SG

All TDs, please cool down, I can understand how all of you feel!

Let me tell you, these Singaporeans all only know how to complain! Why people don't want work in restaurants or as TDs? Because these sg people very ugly. I don't know what to say! Sometimes, I feel very hurt when fellow sg people belittle each other.

When they see angmo, they try to suck up to them. It all boils down to one thing, we all sg people are very divided.

Why can't we be united? Why can't we let each other make and earn a little bit more? Even if the TD take a longer route by mistake, it will be be that few 1 or 2 dollar extra? What can sg ppl do with $1? A can of coke at kopitiam now costs $1.30.

Why all of us are running in circles? Why during the Lehman Brother collapse, so many old people lost their $$$ and where are all of us? Why we none of us unite and press the govt to make good the losses?

I can go on and on but in your heart and my heart, all of us know it's pointless to go on. At the end of the day, we just be happy, if you meet a fxxked up pax, just bear in mind that the journey is only 30 mins max. If they complain, just blame it on our luck. What people is doing, someone up there is looking, every Dog has its day.

Passion8 SG

http://ihatesillypore.blogspot.com/2009/02/reason-0029-rich-taxi-drivers.html#links

Copied and pasted from the above blog...

Rich taxi drivers? In Singapore? Yes, I think some taxi drivers in Singapore are really rich. How else can you explain the fact that many of them can afford to pick and choose their customers?

Think about it, how many times have you stood waiting beside the road for a taxi, and then watched in rage and frustration as unhired, empty cabs whizzed by? How about trying to get a cab between 11pm and 12am, just before the midnight surcharge kicks in?

If empty taxis ignoring passengers happened at only a particular time, such as meal times, or in the late afternoons or evenings, it would still have been understandable as the taxi drivers may be going for their meals or to for shift changes. However, this phenomenon can be seen everyday and at all times of the day.

It is no secret that rather than pick up a regular fare on the street, these taxi drivers prefer to cruise around and get a telephone booking or hopefully, pick up a passenger from the central business district to earn a extra few dollars.

Some might say these drivers are trying to maximise their earnings or that since they are self-employed, they are free to do as they wish. I agree, but I also say these taxi drivers must not forget they are providing an essential mode of public transport and as such, they are not the same as other self-employed people and cannot do as they please.

The bottomline is, these taxi drivers are not hungry enough. They are the people who whine the loudest when taxi rentals or when diesel prices increase and they always exclaim how difficult it is to make a living as a taxi driver. At the same time, they can afford to ignore a ready customer who is beckoning to them in search of more profitable ones who may or may not appear. Compare them to taxi drivers in Hong Kong or Bangkok where passengers have no problem getting a taxi at any time, even late at night, with no additional surcharges to boot.

These taxi drivers should really 'wake up their idea'.

Idiot says: Rich taxi drivers? In Singapore? Yes, I think some taxi drivers in Singapore are really rich. How else can you explain the fact that many of them can afford to pick and choose their customers?

I say: Rich taxi drivers? I agree but not fully ok?! Only to the point highlighted in RED. But isn't this person contradicting? Awhile ago mentioned "some" taxi drivers and later indicate "many of them" can afford to pick and choose their customers.... So is it SOME RICH TAXI DRIVERS or MANY RICH TAXI DRIVERS? -.-"

Idiot says: How many times have you stood waiting beside the road for a taxi, and then watched in rage and frustration as unhired, empty cabs whizzed by? How about trying to get a cab between 11pm and 12am....

I say: Want to take taxi, be ready to pay for it be it the booking charges or city surcharge. I believe idiots encounter the above when they want to "try their luck" in getting a taxi either at difficult locations or outside the CBD just before the gantry. Between 11pm to 12am can't get a cab? Call for cab! Don't be a cheapo! If can't call for cab, then sms a cab, use iPhone app to get a cab, why whine? Many people are also able to get home before the midnight surcharge, be smart, don't be cheapo will get u home cheaper than midnight surcharge.

Idiot says: If empty taxis ignoring passengers.....

I say: If all taxi drivers would strike toto, if the rental would be cheaper, if diesel is FOC, so many if(s)... Why is empty taxis ignoring passengers? So many reasons to ignore, #1: wearing black from head to toe and flagging taxi at dark areas?
#2: flagging taxi at areas where it's difficult for the taxi driver to stop at?
#3: and the list goes on....

Idiot says: It is no secret that rather than pick up a regular fare.....

I say: Since already mentioned is no secret then why still complaining? Doing business selling ur stuffs, would u rather sell it cheap or get a better customer who isn't so cheapo and willing to pay to earn that EXTRA FEW DOLLARS to FEED your family? Use your brain la!

Idiot says: Some might say these drivers are trying to maximise their earnings...

I say: Providing an essential mode of public transport is right but to people who can afford to pay for taxi fare, for cheapos, it's better that they take public transport.

Idiot says: The bottomline is, these taxi drivers are not hungry enough....

I say: It is obvious that taxi drivers are VERY HUNGRY that is why they are driving the smart way to people who really NEEDS taxi and can AFFORD to pay for taxi so that it's a win-win situation to benefit both the commuters and the taxi drivers to feed their family. There is no way to compare Singapore taxi drivers with Hong Kong or even Bangkok taxi drivers. Why no problem in getting taxi in these 2 other countries? Because 1 simple trip alone is anytime more like a Chrysler already. So what to complain? Look at the comparison below MORONS!

Hong Kong
10km fare: HK$80!!!

Bangkok
10km fare: 70 baht!!!

Singapore
10km fare: $8.90 - non-peak & $12 for peak hours.

I shall calculate the BEST SUMS for CHEAPOS out there to understand.

Even a 10km fare trip $12 (Peak Hours) + $3.30 (Booking) + $3 (City Surcharge), how much is the total may I ask? $18.30 ONLY! OMG! What is $18.30 compare to HK$80 and 70 baht??? If the blogger is willing to pay SGD$70 OR SGD$80 ANYTIME, I mean ANYTIME! Which taxi driver here would reject / ignore?

Check this website out for some morons who are nothing but whiners
http://www.asiaone.com/Travel/News/Story/A1Story20080108-44110.html

I say: This blogger should really wake up his/her idea.

komade SG

Idiot says: If empty taxis ignoring passengers.....

well done bro~~~~~

bowah SG

Idiot says: If empty taxis ignoring passengers.....

Brother, base on $1 sing equal to $5.9 hongkong dollar, actually 10km in Hongkong is only about $12 sing dollar

and 70bahts is about $3.50 sing dollars lah.

Hongkong are still using crown, change gear at steering wheel, and their cabs are private but need to join a company to get licence to drive and also for calls. Recently I board one in HK, starting HK$20, that is about $3.50.

As taxi driver are small businessmen, we hv the right to do our business in the way most businessmen and women will do it day in and day out. Just like if you cannot get a seat in a crowded foodcourt, dun blame the foodcourt, go eat at the nearby restuarant, get serve better but must paid abit more. So, next time, if cannot get a taxi, you should know what to do, but dun blame it on TD.

Passion8 SG

well done bro~~~~~

Thanks bro komade

Brother, base on $1 sing equal to $5.9 hongkong dollar, actually 10km in Hongkong is only about $12 sing dollar

and 70bahts is about $3.50 sing dollars lah.

bro bowah,

It is because of this way people using conversion rate to calculate taxi fare that caused the problems. Now we are talking about the issue of locals complaining about the taxi fare hike. Do u hear complains from foreigners complaining? No! Because it is still cheap to them due to conversion rates from their country too! People from US, Australia, New Zealand, they still give tips on top of the $8.90 10km ride rounding it to $10 or $12 sometimes. Get it?

Why not just simply ask the HK citizens and Bangkok citizens if they can AFFORD to take taxi in their own country? Bangkok citizens with their given salary will not even take taxi @ 70 baht! Do u know how much u can eat with 70 baht in Thailand?

Try asking the Japanese citizens too, most of them will only use taxis when in need & 1 trip alone costs them hell alot. When they are in Singapore, they find the taxis here SO CHEAP! 1 end to the other from Jurong to Pasir Ris the most $45 WITH MIDNIGHT charge. In Japan, would have easily cost u $100+++SGD ok?

So pls do not use the conversion way to discuss about this issue. We use other countries local salary vs singapore local salary. Be glad these commuters can STILL afford taxi.

Peace. =)

bowah SG

Thanks bro komade

Hi brother, no war lah, just a discussion, agreed with the cost of living, for bangkok, it is a total different scenarios, from wages to rental to cost of living like foods, they are totally much cheaper, that is also why many cheapo flown there to enjoy life. And the farker can come back and compare with singapore.

As for Hongkong, their wages is much higher than us, why, because they own the cab, a crown is $40,000 sing dollar only, you take it, can paid by loan or one shot off, after 3 year to 5 years of hard work, loan finished, the taxi is yours, but you need a operating licence, that is why you need to register with the cab companies who issue licence and on call business thru walkie talkie, you hear their on call in cantonese...v funny one, can tio tio here and there, in Singapore, you rent taxi, paid until u die, taxis is also not yours, in Hongkong, after fully paid your loan, you can trade in for newer one or sell off your taxis or drive with free rental, so, they can afford to give lower fares. In Hongkong, they also never practice relief driver, most driver pass on their taxi to their sons or relatives, so that they can carry on making money out of it, HK control the license, not the taxi. Once you give up your licence, you very hard to get it, cos someone would had took over. Unlike singapore, you cannot find someone holding TDVL but not driving. So, you need to drive if you want to get a licence, and that is why they are more professional, they are call master, shifu, not uncle hor, no age limit,

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