Confession 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."
