Tuesday 19 November 2013

Clueless Egotistic Driver SH8148M

Milk C informs the following on 10/11/2013:
I came across your blog when I was googling for method to e-mail my bad experience with this cab driver to LTA, so I thought I should share it with you. 
On 10th November 2013, 1:07AM, my friends and I (there were four of us) decided to share a cab back home since we were all heading towards the same direction. We managed to hop onto this taxi (SH8148M) and told him our first destination. The taxi uncle seemed to be very indecisive and very unsure of which route to go as he would keep asking if it was okay to go by this route and re-confirm the route with us every few minutes. He seemed pretty polite (as of now) from the way he replied us after we re-affirmed the direction with him. 
The incident started after my first two friends alighted from the taxi. The remaining ones, my friend and I, lived in Tampines and Pasir Ris respectively. As our homes were really close to one another, normally we would tell the taxi uncle to go to the area which he thought was the closest one and allowed him to choose the route for us. It was different this time, however. The taxi uncle couldn't make up his mind where to go first, so he actually stopped the car some distance away from the traffic light on lane 1 before abruptly cutting through the lanes to lane 4 as he decided to go into KPE. 
The driver had yet to make up his mind even after we entered the TPE flyover, so I was telling him if he wanted to go to Pasir Ris first, he should exit by Exit 4. However, instead of listening to my suggestion, he asked for our addresses again (which we already told him after our two friends alighted). Nevertheless, we gave him again, but he still couldn't make up his mind whether to go Tampines or Pasir Ris first even when we were nearing Exit 5. 
Then, what he did next shocked me. He actually stopped the car in the middle of the highway and asked us where we preferred to go first (Note: There were 4 lanes and I vaguely remembered we were on the third lane). 
Honestly, my friend and I were really unsure whose house was nearer (since some of the taxi uncles would choose Tampines first, while some would choose Pasir Ris first), so I told the driver (again) to exit by Exit 4 if he wants to go into Pasir Ris, don't exit by Exit 5. However instead of following my request and/or acknowledging me, he just kept quiet and entered Exit 5 straight away and into Pasir Ris. 
I became annoyed because of that. But then I was having doubts that he might not have heard me, so I told him again that he should have exited by Exit 4 if he wants to go to my place, because it's faster. But he continued to remain silent and took my words like passing wind, which was then, I knew he was ignoring me on purpose. 
I started to look for his ID on the windscreen, but it wasn't there. So I asked him about it, in which, he finally opened his mouth and replied me (while raising his voice) that it had dropped and he didn't have time to paste it back. Then, he continued to raise his voice at me and said I was arrogant, which I thought was really out of nowhere (But after I think back about it, I think he said that because I was telling him that he should have exit by Exit 4 in a hostile way after we entered Pasir Ris. I was too frustrated at that point of time to talk to him nicely, especially when he failed to follow my request even after I told him that many times. My tone must have worsened as well after that because I was extremely pissed off by his rude attitude). 
After I alighted from the cab, my friend told me the driver kept on explaining that if he wanted to cheat our money, he would have gone to Tampines first. In that case, doesn't that means he already knew Pasir Ris was closer? =.= Why did he have to keep stopping the car in the middle of the road (dangerously) and asked for our opinions then (even when we repeated multiple times that either Tampines or Pasir Ris is fine)? 
Lastly, my friend told me he kept asking for my name. I'm not too sure why would he wants to know that, but I doubt it was for any good intention.

As you rightly point out, there can be no good intention from this driver. The best course of action is to lodge a complaint with LTA through their online feedback portal so that his actions can be recorded across different passengers. Otherwise, it is just a 'one-off incident' for each passenger he treats so poorly. Should we wait until an accident occurs and lives are lost before reflecting that we should have done this or that?

UPDATE on 24/11/2013 from Milk C:
Thank you for the suggestion. I've already sent my complaint to LTA and opted to revert the complain to Comfort because I think he should be given chance instead of having his licence revoked. Comfort had also responded to my complain, saying that they had issued warning to the driver. Hopefully similar incident will not happen again.

5 comments:

  1. From the look of it, it seems like the cab driver could be new, and have yet to be familiarised with certain areas. And probably he was panicky, and so whatever directions/things the passengers said didn't sink into him. (that's just my guess) Even though i agree that it's wrong to stop his cab in the middle of the highway, and also for his rude behaviour and all, however; i personally feel there is no need to lodge a complaint to LTA. I mean these drivers are also trying to earn a living, and with all the new rules now, one complaint/ one offence could cost them to earn tons of demerit points and fines. And they might even get their licenses revoked, which will in turn cause them to lose their rice bowls. Yes, i have met rude cab drivers before, but well there are also nasty passengers around too. I believe it all lies in one's perspectives on how you choose to view things. If you choose to see things in a negative way (like you rightly point out that there can be no good intention from this driver), then of cos what comes next are complaints, complaints and complaints. But if you see him as being new and not that familiarised with roads, maybe you will empathize with him (a little) And if he has that "bad" intentions, i believe he can drive around in circles and cause the fare to shoot up, and not stop to think which way he should go. Even as normal drivers, we do not know all the roads in Singapore. Cab drivers are not perfect too, just cut them some slack if it's not too big a thing. Just my opinion. Btw, I'm not a cab driver, neither do i know the driver above. I have some clients who are cab drivers though.

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  2. Hi Can u sms me Ur problem at 81888566 as I can help u.

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  3. If the passengers is Sharing a cab, The passengers have to direct according to where they want to go first, second, third and fourth!

    You guys know where you want to go and save cost so why ask the driver to decide? As a taxi driver he/she need to concentrate on the driving and fetch the passenger safely to the destination. In the comments you keep stressing the driver to decide if driver decide wrongly, you may said he/she cheat you :(

    What if it is a new driver which is not so familiar with the route, then the passengers may complaint he/she is cheating them or delay their time!

    Some people like to complaints and complaints but they never think further who is right and who is wrong! Be more understanding and every trip you take in the taxi which be different!

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  4. Everyone is earning a living in this busy city!
    Off course the really bad one must complaint!

    ***My suggestion to some passengers why not you try be a taxi driver for a few week to see the stress these uncle have!

    There is good drivers and there is bad one, that goes to passengers! For bad passenger where can the taxi driver complaint to? The answer is NO the driver have to swallow it!

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  5. Everyone is earnin a living in this busy stress city!
    Off Course the bad one you must complaint!

    ** My suggestion to some passengers why not you go and be a temporary taxi driver and feel the stress these driver have?

    There is good driver and there is bad driver that goes to passengers! If the driver come across bas passenger where can they complaint? The answer is NO but they have to swallow it!

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