Uncle , u wait here , i go up take money

Poolman SG

Just how do you response to this sort of pax ?

Could be genuine case that many had met ....

Could be con-men antics we never know ....

How do you protect yourself against cheaters ?

Any special ways ?

Rooney9 SG

you cant trust people these days, there are no more good fellows out there.

sure, but leave your NRIC or hp behind. once you come down, I return you to them. fair deal.

Poolman SG

i take NRIC .

If they genuine wanna conned me , they'll tell me law say cannot .

Dun tell me law , law said take taxi must pay cash .... no credit . Go up take money also credit .

Genuine case i met they give me NRIC automatically , no need i say .

Rooney9 SG

what if they leave their NRIC and tell you, I have no money to pay how? offer you to go their flat to take items that is of same value of the cab fare, what will u do ?

LTeeAye SG

Since driving about a month, have encounters 2x where pax ask me to wait when they disappear totally from view but luckily they did return to continue their journey. Is this part of the job hazard? How frequent do u encounter a freeloader? Once a quarter or half a year or maybe more. Unless authorities lay down clear rules for taxi drivers to take, i think most are using their way to handle such situations.

ALN SG

got once, 1 man after 12am got into my cab at outram and say to jur west… just into AYE he told me he just came out of prison and got no money…

i see his tatoo type and tell him me will drop him at bt merah… jur west is too far, me cant go there for free…

knn… no money stay out so late for f?

Rooney9 SG

got once, 1 man after 12am got into my cab at outram and say to jur west… just into AYE he told me he just came out of prison and got no money…

i see his tatoo type and tell him me will drop him at bt merah… jur west is too far, me cant go there for free…

knn… no money stay out so late for f?

what if he told you he has no money after reaching J west? what will you have done?

Seowlah SG

i take NRIC .

If they genuine wanna conned me , they'll tell me law say cannot .

Dun tell me law , law said take taxi must pay cash .... no credit . Go up take money also credit .

Genuine case i met they give me NRIC automatically , no need i say .

When in doubt of passenger's ability to pay for the fare, you could ask for proof of ability to pay before you allow the passenger to board your taxi. But you need to do it politely and tactfully.

KCTK SG

better not to accept hand phone. my friend's relief agreed to wait while the chick went up to take money after she agreed to leave her hp. never came back, never mind. went to report police taxi driver stole her hp summore. kena go police station. how to explain?

lucky he dam experienced chap. recorded the conversation on his hp. got evidence. otherwise 99.999% treated as guilty.

Home Team, how will you handle such cases? especially if the cabby doesn't have any video/audio recording and it's one person's word against the other. BUT the fact is...poor cabby IS holding onto the phone.

i'd guess if really stuck wif the hp and pax never return, just bring to comfort (or any other cab co.) wif the receipt. let them handle it.

occupational hazard lah. if pax run away without paying, not much we can do. run after them? report to the police? the opportunity cost is actually very much higher than a few measly bucks taxi fare. likely to take up 2 or 3 hours of your time going to the police. and there goes your earnings. is it worth it?

Poolman SG

Guys , u see , if more cabbies let go such cases easily , more will commit such crime , again and again on cabby .

I suggest get tough with this sort of event .

As what Kelvin had said , not a bad idea to record those conversations , or even those images while we are conversing .....

Anyway , we shall see case to case basis .....

I really dun suggest we let go free ...... it's no good for the whole of the industry .

Since i started ..... lucky me not so often , but i still kept in check often .

Poolman SG

Let me share what is those signs they want to chao .....

1.Usually they will talk for a long time on the phone ... with nobody maybe , just to calm herself down .

2.When they ran out of conversation on the phone , they will start chatting with cabbies .

usually they first will ask how is business ?

Maybe is to test and judge how far they can stretch those cabbies .

......

Finally how i deal with it .....

I will changed my face expressions when they approach us about waiting .....

They usually will say : " Don't worry , i will come back ."

If they really say that , ask for assurance ..... dun let them go , test them : " Let me talk to your family ." See what they response .....

if they responsed by saying house no people , this is a potential jalan taxi fare people .

Ask for their NRIC ..... if they dun give , ask for Assistance from nearest police post .

Dun call 999 please .

How to know telephone number for nearest police post ?

Just call any number , that ends with 9999

eg , Bukit Panjang , 6765-9999 ....

When they answered , asked for nearest police post telephone number near to where u need assitance .

Poolman SG

Yes , cabby are not charity workers .

So let's make it hard for them , it's not our fault , take taxi must pay cash !

We have to protect our interest , we need NOT care about how they feel , or hurt them .

It's their fault !

In one way or the other , we are educating them ?

Agree on this , Educating ?

Make sure when they want to do it again , think thrice !!!!

Poolman SG

Because it is an isolated case , not everyday we kena such event , pls take the opportunity , for the interest of the whole taxi drivers community , do it ! Do for the sake of next driver , maybe it could be me , you or your friend .

Take advantage of the situation , to make sure such act is not happening again .

Poolman SG

Genuine case , in my case , usually 95% call their any of their family members down to pay .

Poolman SG

A few months ago .....

A few days after i started my Wish ...

Peak hour .....

At old Bugis Junction t/s .....

Fat girl pax : " Tampines ."

Upon reaching her place ....

She wanted to pay by CitiBank Visa , yeah i accept Visa payment ...

3 times i tried , 3 times was declined .

I asked for another card ..... she dun have .

So she said will go up and take money .....

She asked for the card ... i said no , i told her she come back with the money , then she'll have her card back .

For 15 minutes .... she never came down .

I called the Citibank call center , to inform them of the event , in between i provide them with the card details , and taxi fare etc ... why ?

Cos CitiBank has got all her declining datas !!!!

It is to justify i am a neat guy , making a neat report .

I ask them to call the pax to collect the card .

The pax returned .... without any money !

She suggest i go to her friends place to take some money , her reason is her mum and family all at Tampines Mall , house no money .

I did got all my money , for $28 .

Imagine what will happen if i gave her Visa Card back ?

Will she return with the money ?

Nope , i doubt she will return .

I can imagine , she was thinking how to deal with me as i am holding her Visa card ?

I already anticipated that , that is why i call up Citibank , to protect myself .

Yes , i make it very hard for her to execute her begining intentions .

Lastly , i recall back .....

I am in control of the whole situation ....... always must be in control , dun let them control you .

Still simplest way to hold on with their NRIC ......

If they genuine , they dun scared we take one .

Poolman SG

http://www.spf.gov.sg/contactus/j_div.htm#jw

Just glance thru all the police post telephone no. if u can remember .

Seowlah SG

http://www.spf.gov.sg/contactus/j_div.htm#jw

Just glance thru all the police post telephone no. if u can remember .

If the passenger simply tells you, he or she does not have the money to pay the fare, what will you do ?

Drive the passenger to the police station to make a police report ?

After the report is made and the passenger or the relative of the passenger brings the fare to pay back and request the report to be made null and void. The police is unlikely to press charges against the passenger especially if the fare is being paid back otherwise the police will be very busy to make all these non-paying fare charges.

The policeman then called you and asked you to turn up at the police station to collect the fare.

You have managed to collect the fare but what about the time spent to make the report and to return to collect the fare especially the fare is a few dollars.

Of course, as a matter of principle and to shame the passenger, you can choose to do so.

It is to be noted that taxi driver has no legal right to demand and retain the IC or credit card even if the passenger does not have the money to pay the fare. The passenger is not legally bound to hand over the IC or credit card or handphone to the taxi driver even if the passenger does not have the money to pay for the fare.

If the taxi driver resorts to threat or physically snatch these items from the passenger, the taxi driver can be charged in court.

So, currently it seems that the taxi driver is always at the losing end if the passenger does not have the money to pay for the fare.

Poolman SG

Seowla , i once heard from a friend .....

He brought such cases into Police .....

That Police Man assure my friend , that he will personally pursue this money for my friend .

A police report was made ....

He did !

They have ways , i mean those Police officer , they will make sure culprit will pay up .

No means by pressing charges , they will follow up through culprit's family .

It's their job , isn't it ?

Poolman SG

Got another more kwai lan cabby .... when he went to the Police Station , he insisted to see the Police Commander of that station , others he not interested , cos he know , those PC scared lay chay , dunno do anything , once Commander knew it , he will arrow someone to do it .

Yes .... he was certainly right .

Poolman SG

If It is to be noted that taxi driver has no legal right to demand and retain the IC or credit card even if the passenger does not have the money to pay the fare. The passenger is not legally bound to hand over the IC or credit card or handphone to the taxi driver even if the passenger does not have the money to pay for the fare.

If the taxi driver resorts to threat or physically snatch these items from the passenger, the taxi driver can be charged in court.

So, currently it seems that the taxi driver is always at the losing end if the passenger does not have the money to pay for the fare .

Don't tell me law here ....

If u don't pay now , it's already against the law . Cheating violations . A breach of contract .

If they want to go court , pls do so .

I know cabby in this case , it's protected species .

Not really as what u have said .

I am not going to reveal this , we can get the police without even needing to call them .

Don't try ..... some pax were beaten by taxi drivers i knew , and they also lan lan .

Not reported nia nia .....