Event 1 -- Our taxi drivers are smart
WARNING: This entry would probably be written in my bias view and angry tone...so please pardon me for I am feeling quite pissed off now... *Hur!*
Today WAS meant to be a blissful and happy day as I finished yet another paper this morning and I was going to meet my mum for lunch at my favourite Holland V XO Fish Bee Hoon. You know that in life, there is simply nothing better than to have a great meal after a stressful and disappointing paper where the examiner seems to be finding their ways to fail us here (and apparently I have no idea why they still have to set such a tough paper when we are the graduating batch...do they really miss us so much?! :S). So in short, I had my nice lunch, and hang out with mum at Holland Village Starbuck (enjoying my favourite Java Chips!) for the rest of the afternoon on the comfy sofa there.
Well, maybe because I used to spell my time now as E-X-A-M period, I soon felt very uneasy sitting there, with nothing to do after finishing all the magazines and newspaper available at the cafe. And to add on to my nerves, the rain outside seem to get bigger and it doesn't seem like it will stop in a short time. Thus, at 4.00pm, I suggest to my mum to end the day and I would get a cab back to my hostel instead. And THIS is what started all my pms...
At 4.10pm, there is already a long queue at the taxi stand due to the rain. Yet there is no sign of any taxi available...or without the "On Call" sign. I realise that if I were to board a taxi at 5pm, I'll be charged an additional S$2.00* for the peak hour period charge. And since the calling fee for the taxi for non-peak period is only S$2.50**, it is actually more advantage for me to call a cab there then to wait until-don't-know what time to get a cab. It costs me only S$0.50*** in exchange for probably 30 minutes of my free time. It is worth the money spent because time is definitely PRECIOUS in exam period!
[For those who are still confused by me here, let me illustrate to you...
**Peak hour charge (5-8pm) = S$2.00
***Cost of my time for waiting cab = Calling fee for cab - Peak hour charge
Hence,Cost of my time for waiting cab = S$2.50 - S$2.00 = S$0.50
Assuming that, during exam period,Cost of my time for studying = Cost of my time for waiting cabTherefore,
Cost of my time for studying = S$0.50!
...do you guys get it? :P]
Yet I knew nothing so good could have really happened to me. The taxi driver told me that he didn't see the 'NTU' part and he couldn't take me anymore as he was going to change shift. I asked him to help me cancel the call then, but he refused, instead told me to call the centre again myself. HA! I juz can't believe this! For this, I need to call back the centre to cancel my booking, and wait AGAIN for long time for someone to pick up the phone to make my new booking...GREAT! *grrr...*
So still in the queue (now is 4.55pm and left with two more groups of passengers ahead of me), I made my call and once again listening to the music played on the other end of the phone. Finally even at 4.59pm, no one picked up my call yet.
However, on the struck at 5.00pm, 'MAGIC' seem to have shown right there before my eyes.
Suddenly, somehow, there was suddenly a long queue of taxis before me...right there at 5.00pm! It was enough, or even more than enough, for everyone waiting at the taxi stand. There was NO more "On Call" or "Hired" signs on the taxis, but ALL with the green light on top of the small remarkable vehicles. The taxi drivers seemed, all of a sudden, full of energy and totally satisfactory as they looked over at the long queue at the taxi stand. And there was just one more 'magic' -- all the meters now show an extra charge of "S$2.00" in a noticeable red light inside the cabs. Oh well...
And that's not the end of it...
The driver, somehow, lost his direction and made a big round to Buona Vista MRT (from Holland V) to drop off my mum on the other side of the road because he missed the place where we told him to drop her off even before we passed. Haiz...I'll take this as a goodwill of him coz at least my mum need not cross the road to get to the MRT...but a goodwill that probably not so appreciated by the both of us...
Event 2 -- The thriller ride
After about 15 minutes, the cab finally reached the part of the expressway near NTU. I adviced on the cab to exit at the Pioneer Rd North (he intended to exit at Jalan Bahar again even though I told him this and he actually NODDED his head in response...grrr...how many times do I need to repeat my sentence?! *pms liao*) We finally reached the exit, and as usual, he made a right turn. I noticed the traffic light was spoilt on the exit, but the taxi driver only slowed down a little as he drove on...
And this is where my horror began...
He continued driving straight to make the big right turn into the NTU campus, when suddenly, a bus 179 appeared on our right, speeding at a very high speed! The taxi driver made an urgent halt immediately, and I was jerked forward. I guess the bus uncle also saw our little taxi coming out of the expressway, and immediately he too stepped on the brake, missing us only about 1 meter away!!!
CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT?! My life was SO closed of being taken away if any of us did not stopped in time!!! It would be a ride to heaven for me if the taxi driver did not stopped in time! I am completely shocked and speechless at that moment on my backseat!
And my horrorifying experience soon turned into rage...
After that incident, my taxi driver immediately burst aloud his complaints on how inconsiderate the bus driver was, how the bus driver SHOULD give in to us and let us go first, instead of we being the one letting the bus driver goes first. He seemed to be getting even more frustrated as he continued his scolding all the way back till we reached our destination.
Well YES I agree to him that the bus driver is indeed driving (or more like SPEEDING to me) way too fast, especially when the traffic light is spoilt. That is not a very safe way to drive in such a situation. It could caused a total hazard to all other vehicles, probably except a big lorry or a monster truck which are bigger than the bus.
Yet I can't believe the irresponsibility of this taxi driver! I mean, all his complainings are pointing towards the bus driver...what about he HIMSELF??? Does he know that he has the same responsibility to ensure the road safety as the bus driver...and probably my safety as well as being his only passenger? Does he know that he should have slowed down his taxi instead of driving at such a high speed as well...especially when he KNEW that the traffic light was SPOILT? DOES HE EVEN KNOW THAT MY LIFE IS IN HIS HANDS???
There was quite a big wall under the expressway at the exit there and hence both the bus driver and the taxi driver can't really see each other here. This is what we learnt from our driving course (if you had taken it) -- the BLINDSPOT. And for those who don't know how to deal with blindspot, well you just need to watch out for it, slow down your car, check if it is safe before you drive on. APPARENTLY, both of these two super-experienced drivers seemed to have forgotten what they have learnt back then...
However, I have to admit that I don't really blame the bus driver in this case even though I know I should. I will explain to you why...
The bus driver was on the main road, and our taxi was considered to be on the smaller lane that link to the main road. By right and from the driving theories, the bus driver should go first because he was driving straight and he was, all along, on the main road. Our taxi should be giving in instead because we should be more aware when we need to make our turn in.
Moreover, by normal circumstances, there are normally less vehicles exiting the expressway and turning into NTU, than are there the regular intervals of the bus 179 coming out of NTU. It makes more sense that the vehicles, which exit the expressway, should look out for this regular 'visitor' of NTU...rather than the other way round.
Sigh...all these events really spoiled my day, especially in which I intended to enjoy right after the yucky AA304. Well, there is just only one thing I am glad about -- I am still alive! THANK GOD for letting me to live a while longer here... :)
"Still feeling quite pissed...I seriously need more Java Chips to cool off... *Hur!*"
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PS: After thinking of today's events, I have come up with some proposals for improvement of our taxi in the year of 2XX7...
Proposal 1: Installing Sensored Cameras with timer
*Image is drawn according to artist's impression. :P*
This cameras should be installed at all taxi stand, such that if any taxi (except those changing shifts within around 5-6pm) missed the nearest taxi stands without a valid reason, within the time frame from 4.00-4.59pm, their license numbers should be taken down by the camera and be taken notice of.
Proposal 2: Implementing All-You-Can-See Sunglasses
*This product is not the actual product.*
It is a pair of powerful sunglasses which enables the user to see through walls and buildings. This has probably been used in some of the movies like the James Bonds series and MIB, the highly advanced intelligent agents and spies. It is just not yet designed for the use of the public. Hence, the government should consider inventing such sunglasses especially for the road users such as the taxi drivers so that they can look out for any vehicles that are turning out from the blindspots.
Proposal 3: Minority Report (Taxi version)
*Image is drawn according to artist's impression. :P*
If anyone of you watched the movie "Minority Report", you would still remember the big touch screen used by Anderton (played by Tom Cruise) to check for any crimes that are going to take place under their Pre-Crime Program. We should probably consider getting one of those big screen for our taxis, except the computer system should be called the Street Directory Program. Whenever the taxi driver are not sure of where they go, they can request the computer to locate their destination on the map using this Street Directory Program. It will provide the ideal route for them to take from where they started from.
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