Confession:I regret not defending cabby dad against rude men
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http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sgseen/this_urban_jungle/1676398/confessions_law_students_biggest_regret_is_not.html
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Bye...sleep liao!
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Confession:
I regret not defending cabby dad against rude men, says law studentConfession pages on facebook are now the rage. Here's STOMP's choice of the confession of the day.
In today's featured confession, an NUS law student speaks up about the injustices her father has to face for taking up a job as a taxi driver to support the family -- a job deemed less respectable in society.
"When I was younger, my dad had a good career that paid him well (a job that pays you more than 10k a month now), until an economic turmoil many years back.
"Now he works around the same position, many would say "wow" to, but not many actually know he's underpaid. Most of the jobs are taken by expats. He earns 4k a month adnw works thrice a week.
"Therefore, besides his current job, he also works as a taxi driver.
"This is because all his four children are pursuing bachelor degrees and master degrees. His children do work part time but he always wants the best for the family.
"Last night, my sister and I needed his help in delivering a big heavy parcel to a friend's place. After delivering the parcel, I told my dad that he can drop us there and continue fetching other passengers since there were a number of people flagging for taxis at the roadside.
"He however, insisted on taking us home. We then saw two men flagging for a cab and I told my father to drop us there and take them instead.
"My dad didn't want to let us travel home on our own so he asked the men if they were okay with paying for the fare still. They agreed and boarded his cab.
"On the way back, the man kept asking my dad about my sister and I even after my dad answered that we are his daughters.
"The man then made remarks and asked questions like "your daughters from which kind?", "from where, China or Vietnam?" and "how much?"
"I don't know how many people can understand how disrespectful he was to my father. It made my dad annoyed but he tried not fuel the tension so he kept quiet.
"The man kept on pushing things further and said my dad was rude as he did not answer his questions. My dad said he was being disrespectful and the man got angry and said he will lodge a complaint.
"He then made my dad drive to insignificant places like Sungei Kadut and wasted time waiting. We were not even sure why he stopped to wait, he just made us stop and swayed his head like a drunken man. It was scary.
"When we arrived at his place he gave $10 out of the $25 fare and walked away, and said my dad should feel lucky that he even received his money> He went on to say that he will also lodge a complaint.
"My dad tried to compromise regarding the fare but he was hot headed and therefore my dad had to call the police.
"The man asked the police to arrest my dad for causing embarrassment for fear that he might be seen by his neighbours and also for wasting his time (wasting his time? He would probably have wasted more time trying to find a cab earlier).
"The policemen obviously didn't arrest my dad and after he left, the policemen told my dad that he didn't have to worry as he's not in the wrong.
"But how could he do this when before boarding his cab he had agreed to pay the fare?
"Amidst all of that, my biggest regret is how I read law in school, and am trained in NUS to speak up, and argue your way through many things, but yet I did not defend my dad.
"I did not utter a word to the guy, to tell him that his words didn't just strike anger but hurt that can never be healed and it can only be placed behind us as we move on in life.
"I'm sorry that I had troubled my dad, but I was even more sorry that my dad had to experience such awful things in life.
"I'm well respected for being in a local university, with a bright future and all sorts. But how can I ever more justify that my dad deserves more respect for nurturing me, for bringing me up, that he's the hero? It is of my sad realization that there seems to be no longer hope for a moral change in Singaporeans.
"It will only get worse from here and though initially, I thought of staying and fighting for the welfare of Singaporeans, the impending social turmoil already exists amongst Singaporeans and perhaps the only way to reverse everything is the presence of world war 3 to teach everyone to be more grateful for everything in Singapore.
"Gratitude, is it so hard to give? Schoolmates, leaders of tomorrow:
"1) While you are customers, bear in mind how we should still treat others the way we'd like to be treated. Please give taxi drivers what they earn. You can complain about how taxi fares are so expensive and such. But you have a choice not to take them. And you should know that taxi drivers do not absorb that extra fare raise. Our government takes them.
"2) Men, please watch your words and stop objectifying women. You wouldn't like other men objectifying or label your sisters, daughters or wives as sluts.
"3) Stop treating people based on the stigma the society place on some jobs. Being a taxi driver (or a plumber etc) is an honourable and well respected job in the western countries. My dad is a graduate, things didn't turn out well for him so he had to juggle 2 jobs to "live comfortably". He's not begging for money, he's trying to earn money in exchange for his service. Driving long hours IS tiring.
"4) Even bankers have a lot of things they have yet to learn, just because someone is a taxi driver that doesn't mean he knows every road in Singapore. If he does, you should be ashamed cause it only shows how much smarter he is to remember all the roads than you can. If you complain about how taxi drivers "take the long way", please let them know your preferred way early. While you think being a taxi driver is so "low class", think about how many different kind of people they experience every day in their lives. It's a take away that many people will not experience in their lifetime. All your drunkenness, conversations and actions have all been witnessed by many taxi drivers.
"My dad is an honourable man who lives by the virtue "live with what you earn and not by what you can get". Thus he works hard.
"Help your fellow Singaporeans by being nice. I don't have a fantastic GPA. But this is the experience that has made me a thousand times more resilient, and it will be something I'll treasure for the rest of my life."
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If your taxi is occupy, you are not allow to ferry any pax with meter on.......
this is major offence will lead to revoke of TDVL.......
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Talking about this reminds me of a similar situation I was in.
I saw a Transcab Wish with its roof showing TAXI & proceeded to flag it. The driver stopped, wound down his window and asked where I was going. Saw that he had 2 friends inside. He then asked if I mind taking his cab with his friends inside as they were heading somewhere. I'm an easygoing person, told him I'm fine with the arrangement and we proceeded
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sometime why ask or invite for troubles. it is known that some taxi do pick up pax with their so call " girls friend " sitting inside it is no wonder that man has ask such a question while on board coming into a industries or trade must have knowledge about it and many unnecessary can be avoided. maybe it is better not to defend and stay quite, maybe the boy should defend his father but do we know what will happen? if the td is driving a cdg vehicle, than wost thing may happen, i.e ternination life is hard , so live with it lah
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At the end of the day, yes, it is wrong to carry pax with own people on board, this is a laws. But on the other hand, let us look closely on it, especially the last few sentences, it call for respect of locals who took up job as taxi driver or even secruity guards, so to speak, and that itself speak volume of a good daughter and by virtue, a good local
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he really sway to have pick up crazy fella...
secondly even if daughter insist should not pick up pax with them onboard. never know what kinda crazies you pick up, if try to molest his daughter how?
send them to destination, send them back then pick up fare not too late.
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What is warming is that his daughter did put it in a way of asking peoples to respect TDs, it is thru this experiences that she saw her own father get insulted and still have to beg for a fare which is actually not necessary.
Life is a learning journey, it is not about your get straight As or pass TVDL with flying colors, it is about humanity.
It is sad that many peoples in this world still live in the realm of illusion rather than reality, from MPs to lawyer to TDs and so on.
For those who had opened their third eyes will ultimately appreciate life better, and for that eye to open, it takes lots of learning and with deep appreciation and understanding beyong the face value to get enlightened.
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Originally posted by bowah:
What is warming is that his daughter did put it in a way of asking peoples to respect TDs, it is thru this experiences that she saw her own father get insulted and still have to beg for a fare which is actually not necessary.
Life is a learning journey, it is not about your get straight As or pass TVDL with flying colors, it is about humanity.
It is sad that many peoples in this world still live in the realm of illusion rather than reality, from MPs to lawyer to TDs and so on.
For those who had opened their third eyes will ultimately appreciate life better, and for that eye to open, it takes lots of learning and with deep appreciation and understanding beyong the face value to get enlightened.
Yes sir!.......
But still against the rules.........
Why not allow? Because our taxi only got 1 meter........
Imagine some lurkers start to misuse........
Ferry 1 pax, add another pax, plus another pax again, all go same direction, than 1 by 1 collect fare, jiak beh liao........
My friend kanna, that day nobody take care of his litte daughter, so put her in front seat and go ply the road, only 1-2 pax than pick, sway sway pick up a LTA officer.........
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Yes, I agreed that it is against the rule, I just want to highlight his daughter good nature and willing to defence his father even she is studied laws and knows that it is wrong to ferry pax with own peoples on board.
On the other hand, my lor sor instinct tell me, that you never truly understand what is rules, basically speaking, who created the rules? Human right? secondly, let me just ask you one more question, if every cars including TD, lorry, bus and so on. on the road followed rules strictly, do you think the traffic will be smooth, and thirdly, since you are a NSmen and served the SAF before, you know the COC 7th rule of do anything you like, just dun get caught. This apply to our daily life. Or dun tell me you are like me, just Serve And Forget?
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Originally posted by bowah:
Yes, I agreed that it is against the rule, I just want to highlight his daughter good nature and willing to defence his father even she is studied laws and knows that it is wrong to ferry pax with own peoples on board.
On the other hand, my lor sor instinct tell me, that you never truly understand what is rules, basically speaking, who created the rules? Human right? secondly, let me just ask you one more question, if every cars including TD, lorry, bus and so on. on the road followed rules strictly, do you think the traffic will be smooth, and thirdly, since you are a NSmen and served the SAF before, you know the COC 7th rule of do anything you like, just dun get caught. This apply to our daily life. Or dun tell me you are like me, just Serve And Forget?
Alamak, my first sentence already say "Yes Sir" liao leh.......
many people don't know got this rule, that's why I must emphasis on that.......
this bugger act ya ya inside her father taxi might know is not allow to do that, that's why he keep harressing the poor TD, because once report, who's at the losing end........
my friend ferry her innocent daughter, so cute, met any pax on the street, wind down and ask, "do you mind?", most don't mind, somemore can chit chat happily........
Than met this Mr L also say is ok, on board, after my friend start meter, not even 3 lamp post, show his lj pass, "why? why? and why?"........
luckily no revoke, but fine and demerit points........
this kind of story is everywhere in cyberspace, what I concern is the rules that TD had break, arbo I don't even want to reply........
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yes , don't break the rule, this story will not take place i am not sure if this td is greedy or cannot see open, thinking he can take chances and almost pay a price for it. anyway nothing comes free this world