It was a Friday night, month end if I remember correctly. I was
coming from CTE Havelock Exit towards Upper Pickering Street >
Church Street. Both sides of these streets are filled with
zombies (i.e. human creatures with hands stretched out for
taxis...)
I stopped my taxi for a couple of caucasians and turned out that
they only wanted to go to Clarke Quay. So I turned into Market
Street and in the process, saw a big group of youngsters queuing at
the taxi stand (in front of Golden Shoe Carpark). I was thinking
then... "Stupid! Everyone was outside there trying to grab a taxi
and you guys are here queuing obediently..." With that, I sms'ed my
buddy about the group at the taxi stand just in case he needed
passengers... Afterall, it's just PNG.
After my paxes alighted at Clarke Quay, I decided to go back to
the taxi stand and have a look. But, not before I put
[BUSY] since
both Upp Pickering St and Church St are still full of zombies.
And sure enough, the same group of youngsters are still there
queuing... However, what's puzzling is that after I stopped at the
taxi stand, nobody proceeded to board my taxi. I thought to
myself... "WTF? Don't tell me they not waiting for taxi!!"
After waiting for, say, 20 secs, a very pretty lady from the group
approached my taxi and gestured to me, asking whether my taxi is
available. I answered with "2 thumbs up" and she proceeded to
board my taxi with another also very pretty lady.
After they are properly seated and we moved off, I casually
passed a remark about why none of their friends boarded my taxi
even though I was waiting for about 20 secs already. It's
only then that I realized that I'm still on [BUSY] hence they thought I'm
just stopping there for someone else... LOL... I replied that I'm
on [BUSY]
because I wanted to avoid the zombies along Upp Pickering St and
Church St and pick them up at the Taxi Stand. Not too nice
when you are [TAXI] and then ignore street paxes when they flag
right?
Now it's their turn to be puzzled and one of the chio bu
asked... "Uncle, is there a specific rule that you can't picked up
the street paxes?" I replied that since it's already past midnight,
I'm free to pick up any street pax as long as it is not zig zag
line. That I am doing so is because I see them queuing
obediently at the taxi stand and that I returned specifically for
them. I proceeded to explain that everyone was outside there
trying to flag any taxi that comes along. By queuing at the taxi
stand (on a Friday and past midnight as well), it will be at least
2 am before they managed to get home.
Hearing this, they feel both touched and paisey... Turned out
they are just poly students and currently doing industrial
attachment at the banks in Raffles Place. Really makes me
wonder about the effectiveness of the education system here...
