Ah, Malaysian Taxi Driver

I was back to KL at my parent's place.

It was a boring Sunday. There is nothing that arouses me on the TV and Astro. No parliament debate as MPs are busy studying on some plant technology and I've had enough of Discovery Channel. So I decided to go to Sunway Pyramid. As parking is always full, I decided to take a cab there.

I walked outside my apartment and flag down a cab.

Me: Uncle, Sunway Pyramid ada pergi?

Taxi Driver: *nod*. RM 20.00

Me: OK. Tak apa. TANK-KIU

So I waited for another cab as the first one didn't want to activate the meter. Comes the second cab and again I asked if he wants to fetch me to Sunway Pyramid. Same conversation as above. Its all repetitive for the next five or six cab. I lost count. All of them refuse to charge by the meter. I'm pissed. Finally, the there's this one cab that I manage to flag down who said OK to meter. The uncle looked like a Saint to me at that point of time.

Me: Uncle, can on the air cond louder? Very hot.. I stand for almost 30 minutes before I can get a cab.

Taxi Driver: OK.

Me: You are the only nice taxi driver who charges by the meter le. What's wrong with the others? Why never charge according to meter one?

TD: Ah.. you all don't know one la. you all think taxi drivers like to charge expensive. Did you know that by running the meter, taxi drivers won't earn enough to even pay for the taxi rent?

Me: You don't own the cab?

TD: Of course not. You need to have license to own the cab.

Me: Then get one:

TD: hahaha… I have no connection. you need to get license from JPJ. There is a limit to the number of license holders. We only rent from the company who got all the license.

Me: huh?? Then how much you all rent the cab?

TD: Per day, its RM 50. See if you are lucky or not, you can get cheaper. Some of them rented the taxi at RM 30, RM 80.. depends on your luck.

Me: That will be RM 1,500 PER MONTH!!!! Much more than the cost of buying the vehicle and paying the monthly installment!

TD: its like that… that's why I say you all don't know one…. Later you see the meter and you MIGHT understand why.

at this point in time, im very confused. The conversation continues but we did not talk about taxi anymore. I reach Sunway in about 25 minutes because the traffic was a little congested.

TD: RM 8.40. RM 8 can already. uncle got no change.

Me: Huh? You sure?

TD: yeah.. the meter don't quite move when we are stuck in jam. Every car meter different. Mine don't move that fast..

I felt guilty.

I felt guilty because I "forced" the uncle to charge by meter. Or is it we, who forced? 

I felt guilty because I am one of the people, who can afford to pay more, but didn't want to pay more just because I felt like I'm being cheated by the taxi driver. I felt guilty because I have cheated the taxi driver. Or is it the society and our caring government has? I know for sure the company that rented the cab to these taxi drivers don't care for sure.

Uncle Taxi has a son and a daughter who just started working. Uncle taxi also work 2 jobs just to make sure his kids went to proper school and not become a taxi driver like him. 

I paid the taxi uncle RM 20. Converted into SGD, it worked out to be SGD 8.30. I can still afford.

I only help to pay 1.34% of uncle taxi’s monthly cab rent. I leave the rest to the people... DO WE REALLY CARE FOR THE SOCIETY? OR WE CARE FOR OURSELF.