Taiwan cabbies so friendly says Seok Hwai of Straitstimes
-
With Taiwan cabbies, it's always a friendly ride
TAIPEI - “In Taipei, if you can’t get a taxi in one minute you’re damn unlucky,” so said a Singaporean friend who has lived in the Taiwanese capital for seven years.
I couldn’t have put it better. Ok, maybe I would have said two minutes. The fact is it is ridiculously easy to hail a Xiao Huang - Taiwanese nickname for taxis - in the bustling metropolis of 6.6 million people at all hours of the day, even at peak periods like the lunch hour.
And inexpensive too. A 10km trip costs NT$245 (S$10.30), and there are no surcharges save for an extra NT$20 between 11pm and 6am.
Indeed, before June 2011 booking a cab with major cab companies like Taiwan Taxi would have helped you save - yes, save - up to 30 per cent off the fare. The perk was removed after the government banned taxi companies from passing off the cost to cabbies.
But, for all that, the best part of a cab journey in Taipei is the cabby.
Because if taxi-drivers are the window to the character of the people they serve, then Taipei’s are some of the warmest, honest, and folksiest you will ever encounter.
Just two weeks ago, I got into the car of a driver who appeared to be in his late 50s. During the 20-minute journey he pointed me to various sights in the musing, semi-monologue fashion of a kindly uncle.
“Look at the red flowers outside that house, so pretty,” he said.
“Oh, nice,” I nodded, my mind on the interview I was heading to.
We drove pass a bread shop. “Have you tried their bread before? I have, it’s quite good,” the cabby said.
I said I have and it was delicious. Then I told him the place he was driving me to was also a bread shop, called Bu Lie De, the Chinese pinyin for “bread”.
“Oh, Bu Lie De is also a man’s name in English, right?” he uncle said, perking up now that he had my full attention. “Now which name is it?”
“Brad, as in Brad Pitt, the famous Hollywood actor,” I offered, amused.
Moments later, we had arrived at my destination. I paid the fare and alighted - only to realise that the cabby had dropped me at the wrong place. It was too far to walk so I waited by the road for another cab. One came (in under two minutes) and I got in. Lo and behold, it was the same cabby!
“I discovered that something wasn’t right so I turned back again to look for you,” he said happily, visibly relieved. “Good thing you’re still there.”
And he took me to the right place this time at no extra charge.
Another time I was on my way to another assignment, and had a nice chat with the cabby on the trip. When we arrived, he said with a conspiratorial grin: “Look what I’ve got here?” and pointed to a small, black mass in the front passenger seat.
It was a pug. It had been sleeping quietly in the car and I never would have guessed it was there.
“I bring it along with me every day,” the cabby said as I patted his co-driver. “And tell only those passengers whom I think are into dogs.”
Away from densely populated Taipei, the taxis become scarcer, but the heart of the service stays the same.
Some time ago I had travelled to the south-western city of Tainan to cover a press conference. When it was over I took a cab back to the train station. During our conversation the driver discovered that I had yet to try my luck in the lotto in Taiwan.
“Seriously? You must try it then,” he said, and asked if I would mind buying a ticket for him as I would have beginner’s luck. I was happy to oblige, and he stopped outside a lottery shop while I popped into the shop to buy two computer picked numbers.
“Good luck to us,” he said when I gave him his ticket. That was my first and only shot at the Taiwan lottery so far.
Aside from these stand-out encounters, I’ve also met drivers who could wax lyrical about Taiwan politics like professors, those who told me they had visited Singapore and rattled off the names of our tourist attractions, female cabbies who decorate their cars with little pots of flowers and wore detachable sleeves to protect their arms from the sun. They are genuine, unguarded and down-to-earth to a fault.
Surveys by the Taiwan tourism bureau show that the one thing about the island that consistently leaves the deepest impression on foreign tourists is its friendly people.
Taiwanese cabbies doubtless have something to do with it.
http://www.stasiareport.com/the-big-story/asia-report/blogs/story/taiwan-cabbies-its-always-friendly-ride-20130311
-
i think straits times is sending a hint to Singapore cabbies
-
Taipei got COE ?
TaiPei got ERP ?
TaiPei can own their taxis ?
Taipei got PAP government ?
No lor ........ we have World Class COE leh ....... car most expensive in the world .
Taxi also follow very expensive , rental also follow rocket prices , fuel also hike like nobody business ....... but taxi flagdown dirt cheap leh .....
-
If my taxi rental is $15 per shift ...... and base on current taxi fare , my service Best In Sgp .
I can even put red carpet .
-
Originally posted by Poolman:
If my taxi rental is $15 per shift ...... and base on current taxi fare , my service Best In Sgp .
I can even put red carpet .
Like my cheapo red welcome mat ? Hahahahaha -
Everything, there a price to pay
When the price is not right, you will never get the service right.
Even, when we pay the right price (world class salary), did we get the service right?
Singapore always use "THE WORLD" as comparision to convince
When we complain house is expensive,small.... they use Hong Kong
When we not contented with our life..... they use Africa
When we complain traffic congestion..... they use Thailand
Now Taxi Service.............
Anyway, reading our state media will not bring us any further, will only allow ourselves to be squeeze further.
It is not Singapore Taxi Driver do not want to provide GOOD service, how much can we do when our balls are 24/7 begin squeeze.
-
singapore cabby hahhaa ahhaha ahahahhahahha ahaha
-
hahaha....
-
Originally posted by Red5xx:
hahaha....
hammer?
-
Seriously, I dun blame him for getting angry. some idiot pax think we cabbies are what? Money changers? Kenna so many pax trip less than 10 bucks give 50 bucks.... Just 2 trips in my home town already have to go home take small change.....knn....waste time.....
-
Originally posted by eurocab:
Knn for tis kind of pax I got $50 in $2 note on standby exclusively for them....
-
Originally posted by Red5xx:
hammer?
Hahaha, not hammer lah, this one was in some news, hammer more worst, sure to say, SMLJ $50? -
Originally posted by Skyjus23:
Knn for tis kind of pax I got $50 in $2 note on standby exclusively for them....
Wahaha.....si beh idea leh....ok ok ...... can try........
-
how abt those with $100s? got one pax, that her minimum.. one stack.. of course ft la..
-
Well, about the Topic, we need to qualify why taiwan taxi driver are happier?
Driver in taiwan own the taxis or that 10 peoples can set up a taxi company of their own, Singapore is all about hire and rental, no ownership and you need to qualify many points inorder to be able to start a business, either link with govt or thru nepotism.
In Singapore, can a TD bring a dog or cat along in his taxis? I guess he or she will tio pok on that day
Because of ownership, this taiwan taxi driver is more relax and happier to provide better services, because he owe no one and no one owe him anything. As such, he take care of it himself, nobody can complain about him thru any companies, except the road authority.
Therefore, it is unfair to compare TD of one country with another, all are driving in a set of different enviroment and condition, if it is really to compare, than why are our govt taking so high a salary compare to taiwanese govt?
-
Originally posted by Poolman:
Taipei got COE ?
TaiPei got ERP ?
TaiPei can own their taxis ?
Taipei got PAP government ?
No lor ........ we have World Class COE leh ....... car most expensive in the world .
Taxi also follow very expensive , rental also follow rocket prices , fuel also hike like nobody business ....... but taxi flagdown dirt cheap leh .....
5-7hr just to cover cost....
where got time to tok cock....
-
Originally posted by Tcsaaa:
how abt those with $100s? got one pax, that her minimum.. one stack.. of course ft la..
Sorry madam, my cab only accept credit cards....do you have 1?
Wahahahahhaa......
-
Sin taxi too dirt cheap already.
Want cheap taxi?then must wait lor
no such thing as cheap and don't need to wait
Yes,maybe in 3rd world country
-
double standard is the name of the game, in our sillypore.. isn't this a trend since donkey years ago? y dun compare us to india taxi? then dun know can c mini shirt pax ?
-
Originally posted by bowah:
Well, about the Topic, we need to qualify why taiwan taxi driver are happier?
Driver in taiwan own the taxis or that 10 peoples can set up a taxi company of their own, Singapore is all about hire and rental, no ownership and you need to qualify many points inorder to be able to start a business, either link with govt or thru nepotism.
In Singapore, can a TD bring a dog or cat along in his taxis? I guess he or she will tio pok on that day
Because of ownership, this taiwan taxi driver is more relax and happier to provide better services, because he owe no one and no one owe him anything. As such, he take care of it himself, nobody can complain about him thru any companies, except the road authority.
Therefore, it is unfair to compare TD of one country with another, all are driving in a set of different enviroment and condition, if it is really to compare, than why are our govt taking so high a salary compare to taiwanese govt?
Well said..... These people who write these articles really use their arse to think and pen...... As for the name The Shitty Times, matches perfectly.......
-
Originally posted by eurocab:
Sorry madam, my cab only accept credit cards....do you have 1?
Wahahahahhaa......
at the end of the trip, no credit card how? free, send back or?
-
No problem, you leave your stack of 100 bucks here, take 1 go to the shop and change, i wait for you....... dun come back also never mind......
-
Based on one person view to conclude the efficiency of Taiwan cabby. On 3rd Jan this fetched one young pax from airport this year. He just came back from Count down in Taipei. Yes, he claimed that he could catch a cab within 10 mins after countdown, but cabby bargained for a price..... Our car price is much higher than Taiwan besides fuel, and we charging almost the same price based on their 10 km rate. But sometimes, they can bargained for price. Our reporter only just do surface report, not transparent in depth report. Knn , if they really good n transparent, report the politics like Taiwan lah, knn no guts, only free to talk rubbish only,.
-
What about media industry? You compare openess of Taiwan media and local media, it is like comparing heaven and earth.
-
Originally posted by Red5xx:
hammer?
Wah lao eh? See me no up? $50 no change? $1000 I also can change lah....but must go ATM loh....
