Malaysian Taxi Drivers = An Atrocity

I know I am about to face my final exam for this semester for college and am supposed to value every single second, minute and hour of my life now by revising my butt off as preparation for exam. 

But I MUST relate my experience with taxi drivers today, just this afternoon. 

Class ended early today. By 1.30p.m., my housemates and I had finished lunch and were eager to go back to our hostel unit to resume revision and studies (yea... we are THAT 'guai' -Mandarin for being good-) The shuttle buses which take us back to our hostel do not come until 3p.m. Four of us didn't want to waste any time, hanging around college. So, we decided to take a cab home. 

Cindy (the big sister of the unit) flagged down a cab. The driver was a Chinese man. She asked him if he could send us to Casa Subang and enquired for the price. He said, "RM15."

@#&@#^!@&*$&@%#&!@&#*!@(!@*!!^! (list of swear words. Please insert as you wish.)

Fyi, it is a fantastically expensive price. Cindy said that was too expensive. "Do you use the meter?" Guess what the fella said? 

"I don't use meter! Don't live there la! So far away! Move somewhere around here then if you think it's so expensive. That area so jam at this time also!" (in Mandarin)

I swear if I'm some samseng ah lian who has an ah beng boyfriend who has a gang of samseng friends, that driver is a roasted Peking duck. Damn impolite and rude! A disgrace to the Chinese. 

We flagged down a second cab. Indian fella. RM15 too. We rejected it. He went off quietly.

A third cab. 

Wah! Let me tell you! Now, this is the GEIST of the story for today.

"Casa Subang? How much?"

"RM15."

"Do you use the meter?"

"No."

Another Indian driver who is hanging around the 'wait-for-taxi-spot' near our college asked, "How much do you want?"

We answered, "RM7." 

"You wait until tomoro also you won't find a taxi with that price!"

"How come you don't use the meter?"

"(sarcastic laugh) Have you ever SAT in a metered taxi?"

I thought it was the most ABSURD thing I've ever heard recently. In fact, it is of knowledge that the cabs in Selangor MUST follow the meter. Quoting from the News Straits Time:

"Wed, May 07, 2008, 

"...Taxi drivers caught over-charging passengers, being rude to customers, declining to take customers to requested destinations, driving recklessly, using modified meters and charging passengers a flat rate without the use of the meter will lose their licence immediately." 

The statement was made by the Road Transport Department enforcement director Salim Parlan. Selangor, KL, Johor and Penang are the states where meters are compulsory for taxies. Sarawak too!

Then, we came across the fourth cab. A Chinese uncle. He uses the meter. Cindy mentioned out loud that this taxi has a meter and the Indian fella who spoke rudely to us yelled back, "Go lah, miss! Go lah! You naik saje!" As if we are sure to be cheated for the trip. I didn't like the scene because it felt like he was threatening us. When we reach Casa, the fare was only RM 4.60. We paid the uncle RM5 anyway. We were so happy to find a good taxi driver in the end. 

Now, here's the thing. I'm going to make quite a condemning remark here. If you can't handle it, please click away from my blog. 

I seriously find that taxi drivers, especially Indian ones, tend to scam passengers a lot. Seriously, I've heard too many stories about taxi drivers. I personally had had my own share of experiences. They are generally (NOTE THE WORD 'generally' which means not all) deceitful and never sincere. In fact, the way they carry out their duty is completely unethical and unlawful. I've met nice Chinese and Malay taxi drivers but NEVER an Indian.

For our case, I believe that these taxi drivers are in a league and have a pact to 'standardise' their charges and fees. Their attitude is atrocious and preposterous. They are f-king barbaric towards passengers. I think they didn't respect us as much since they knew we were students. 

Malaysia will get nowhere if her nation is still as under-developed in terms of mentality and manners. I have always blamed the leaders of this country for our hapless shape of the country but i do remember that a country is not only made up of the leaders but also the people. If the people themselves do not buckle up and change, there will be no advancement in the country. How do you demand respect for others when you do not act like you DESERVE that respect?

It is also not news that taxi drivers were known to cheat foreign tourists of taxi fares.What kind of impression would they bring home to their homeland?"

*How did you find Malaysia?*

*Oh, you know, I got down from the plane and I was scammed right off for a taxi fare to city central.*

Wow, we are so prepared to be a first-world nation.