having read what you wrote...it brought back many memories when i first started to drive a cab...bcos i too came from corporate world for many years b4...and holding a senior position i always have that inferiority complex what wld my junior staff say if they board my cab.
I cld easily find other alternatives to do instead of driving around...then i realise the difference of reporting to someone vs being your own boss is the reason i chose to drive a cab
initially as a green horn takings are not important but learning to be street wise is something i built upon...newbies will go thru the hassle of nasty paxs...take it within your stride & smile
i never look upon driving a cab as a degrade vocation...there're many well educated & graduates amongst us here in STC club...and in this forum we're trying to transform the image of cabbies of one that's respectful, friendly & build a bond amongst ourselves...if you are alone then you'll be a loose sand out there
it'll take time for pride to seep in...most important is own's mentality of what you're doing...i.e. an honest professional cabby wah liao so cheem hehe
cheers
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If you are willing to admit faults, you have one less fault to admit.
it'll take time for pride to seep in...most important is own's mentality of what you're doing...i.e. an honest professional cabby wah liao so cheem hehe
cheers
ff, u r now also holding a very important appointment as a treasurer in STC ma.
Hi Regit, TD is knowledgeable, flexible and energetic. Compare to managerial post, TD no need to answer boss, TD got overtime pay, TD can rest anytime, TD once switch off car engine no more stress.... pay may be less than a thousand dollar lesser than lousy manager pay :)
I am not a TD but love to be in this profession, I guess toughest period could be the first few months to master road network after that no more panic.
Hi Bridgestone, U love to be TD....so u waiting for what? me trying on sunday only, not sure when i will be kicked out from the company. T,D is Interesting to certain point, but it's totally different from my current job. Like what fairfare mention it's the transformation that i must accept and overcome. Being a TD it gives me the opportunity to cross path with many different types of people. U never try u will never know..Ha! got lobang for sunbday let me know. Thanks.
it'll take time for pride to seep in...most important is own's mentality of what you're doing...i.e. an honest professional cabby wah liao so cheem hehe
cheers
ff, u r now also holding a very important appointment as a treasurer in STC ma.
TU
thnk u...i take what u said as a compliment keke...im doing jz a small roll for STC
__________________
If you are willing to admit faults, you have one less fault to admit.
Hi Regit, TD is knowledgeable, flexible and energetic. Compare to managerial post, TD no need to answer boss, TD got overtime pay, TD can rest anytime, TD once switch off car engine no more stress.... pay may be less than a thousand dollar lesser than lousy manager pay :)
I am not a TD but love to be in this profession, I guess toughest period could be the first few months to master road network after that no more panic.
At last managed to get hook up with another hirer, rate is reasonable and place is within driving distant. This sunday will be my second maiden drive as a cabby. I'm reaching the cross road junction of my working life and the window of opportunity are closing on me. I had the premonition that if i don't start with somethings the aftermath of the reality will be very ugly when i got booted out from my current job. Being a cabby is totally contrast from my current desk job...it's great tranformation of myself. The job do enlighten my day when u receive appreciation and satisfaction from the passenger. The day seem very long and unwinding due to many funny encounters and constant movement from places to places. As the day closed to an end i got the feeling that i just return from hell....bcos of tiredness and working in an confine space. But nevertheless, though the journey be rough, the sky cloudy, though i pass many long faces along the way, regardless of the weather on the outside, my body, shall be warmed by the sunshine of the joyous soul within myself. Thanks.
thats good regit, enjoying yr driving and as a TD.. keep it up... i dont really love driving but quite enjoy counting $$$ at the end of my shift..wahhaa
Regit wrote:... As the day closed to an end i got the feeling that i just return from hell....bcos of tiredness and working in an confine space.
haha I like this phase - return from hell. Already 2 weeks being night relief realize spotting passenger from the darkness is real challenge. Ya, the precious moment is counting $$$ at the end of the shift.
Ok...since this tread still alive let me narrate some of my encounters.....
Just like to continue the insight life of cabby, me only drive less than nos of counts in my hand but nevertheless it provides me a skin deep impression of this unique job which outsider will not be able to fully comprehend the complexity required. This job is shy from others bcos of the stigma attached and many bad and ugly incident that reported in the press. The reason I venture to this territory is to mentality prepared myself from incoming storm that will befall me.. incase I lost my current job. I regretted that I should have started it years back ago instead of now but well it's always never too late. I'm currently driving weekends only and holding a permanent job with a decent pay that I should be satisfied with. My moonlight activities is tantamount to having a second life hiding behind the curtain embarking on top secret mission which none of my friends or family sibling would have the slightest inkling of what actually I'm doing. I do carried with some esteem feeling where ever I go, within my estate compound I will be greeted from the security officer, many of my friends are proud of where i'm now. But sad to say when I associate with cab even those hotel door man also look down on me, keep banging and banging the car booth when I'm too slow and give me black face look, like i owe them a living. I should say I look like a normal guy but if put on white long sleeve and a tie with a stethoscope hanging on my neck I might probably be able to pass off as a doctor..ha!ha. Sorry for bringing up my high point. As I mention before, cabby come from all walk of life some with tattoo on their arm and some with color long shoulder hair and others with hippy outlook puffing their cigarette standing in a shoddy position, once look u will know that they don't carry the professional image to impress others. Many of my passengers were surprised with my proper outlook and able to hold a conversation but behind their back of their mind they must me thinking and took pity of me doing this job. To me it takes great courage for me to step into this newly platform, during my initial start up when I'm on driver seat, I constantly ponder my self why the I'm doing all these just to earn a one day income (12hrs driving) which only requires me a few hrs of work in the office. The feeling is like the soul within me are being separated and now searching for the missing lost soul that had been with me for so long. Anyway casting aside my dignity and discounted what other people might perceive this job as lowly. I'm resolve to stick to it and learn a trade in addition with some income supplement. In fact, I found that cabby job is very enrich and fulfilling, it's like providing a service orientate with charity inclination helping people ferrying them safely from point A to point B. There are many passenger that we cross path with and it's great to know many of them and in no times I will have met many global friend. It's good to have a chance to meet many wonderful people in your life time even for a day than never know their existence at all. Sometimes you do get the utmost ecstasy feeling when the passenger thanks you and appreciate of your service rendered. So far my deepest incident is with this fragile old man, when he aboard he seem having difficulty trying to get in and as I'm on the driver seat I just waited patiently observing his minute movement until he seated safely before driving off. But when reached his destination I just came out (hdb car park) and helped him opened the door, hold him and assisted him to alight form the car. This golden touch truly touch his heart and he paid the fare with tips of $1.80 which I thanks and courtesy returned to him. To me it's the thought that counts and not the amount that matters. I do appreciate of the return feeling which relate to whatever you do be it good or evil, it will ultimately come back and either please you or haunt you. Before he goes off he keep on turning is head and thanks me and bidding me goodbye many many times. This feeling you will never find it in corporate hypocrite working world, when such thing happens there is always a price that u will have to cough out one day to repay. This small incident will be embed with me for long time, everyday is a thrilling days but of cause u will get those rotten egg passenger which will spoil your mood for hrs. Human nature and character is unexplanatory, no rocket scientist will have any formula to interpolate for a solution, take for instance this pax that I picked up in umdc seafood lagoon, able to eat seafood but when comes to take cab, always want to go by the shortages way but with his limited understanding of the road system, he insisted to go by TPE by using the inner road to head to airport direction, which from experience the inner road will end and lead to the main road in the direction of city. Hence I took the other way which head toward Marine Parade and made a U turn back to ECP in airport direction. Along the way his face black like charcoal even though I explained to him the intricate road structure but he seem to turn a deaf ear. And others who keep tab on the meter and aligned and synchronize their heart beat with the meter, the faster the meter jump, the heart pump faster until they cannot take it they say "Uncle drop me here can already lah".
Hi Regit.. In customer service...the customer is always right even if the left is right. Cabbies were looked upon as lowly people carrier like the rickshaw pullers etc.,etc., but thngs are slowly changing now..just look at how smart our Cabby chief /Lta chief conducts himself.Hahaha..
Firstly , must congratulate you on making the first step into a 'new world order ' of the cab business.
Secondly , please paragraph your writing in future..my eye balls crossed liao...after my day's drive..eyes already very tired ...your writing further send me to slumber land...hehehehe
Neverthelss...it was a very frank piece of write up n I share with you some fo your thoughts...
It's all in the mind..if you think it is low down...it will be a low down chore..
If you think of it professionally..and delivering the service a profession ought to...it can be very rewarding inwardly n outwardl as well.
I do agree with you.. your outlook n persona ..speaks volume of you.. the man behind the wheel...your pax will find greater comfort n faith in you..
Lastly, it is an honest job... and you still can earn a professional income .... kao chai mai ?
Bro Regit, nice to have you around here, we need more post like that. So you are leading a double life huh? Something different from what you had experience so far, shiok right? Hope to meet you one day over coffee. And please pm me your contact so i can let you know when we have kopi session.
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Life's too short and Unpredictable, Treasure and Love what you got.