Keep Your Word To A Taxi Driver

Some days ago, I posted a tweet about why people who've booked a taxi bother waiting in the taxi queue. I got a just a handful of responses - one was that taxis seemed to frequently not be able to figure out the pick up point; another was kiasuism and lastly, "To increase the odds of getting a cab quickly. Duh."

I was indeed exasperated at that someone in the queue ahead of me who had committed this fault in my eyes. I guess many would disagree that it is a fault. Probably because the cab companies dedicate a call cancel shortcut on the phone booking services. Truly Singaporean perhaps, this means of getting ahead. Or maybe getting away with it instead. Simply cancel on a call, forget whatever it meant.

Is confirming a taxi booking not a matter of keeping one's word? I, Gurmit Singh, agree to wait for cab SHA 1234 X arriving in 3 to 5 minutes with an additional fee of $3.50, and to have a nice day. So Mr Anonymous Cab Driver enters into an agreement with me - he dedicates his service to me and I pay him extra. He comes around and picks me up. That's the normal, right way things work out.

When I decide to flag down another horse and cancel aforesaid agreement, Mr Anonymous Cab does not make the extra few dollars and would very likely be frustrated. Yes I save on the money and waiting time, but unknowingly I have added to what I like to call the Fed Up Factor. Mr My Booking Got Cancelled is fed up. He thinks that perhaps all passengers are scum and doesn't give two hoots (or honks) about messing with us more - you know, the hiding in alleys till surcharges kick in, the picking and choosing of customers to get to very nearby destinations, the non-chalant driving by sweaty taxi queues with the green sign on - the stuff that infuriates us further. So we now contribute to the universal Fed Up Factor.

What's the fella waiting behind I've got a booking so-and-so supposed to think? He's got a booking but he's still in the queue. So he's too stingy to fork out $3.50 but got the balls to screw a taxi driver if he can?

Taxi companies should charge the booking fee for the call, and pass that on to taxi drivers later.

We can't be very happy living with all this frustration. It's not a oneupmanship game we should play with one another. What goes around comes around. That's why taxi drivers want to play their games - we give them a reason to.

Perhaps i'm too principled. If I make a deal with someone I try to keep it. Don't screw the other fella over. And that goes for taxi bookings too. Maybe we're just not putting ourselves into the other person's shoes or in this case behind the cabby's steering wheel. It's all me me me. Yes we all have our grouses with taxi drivers but it doesn't mean we have a natural licence to mess with them.

We're worse for it. Plain and simple. A sad state of affairs.