Welcome Home !!!

smoothrider wrote:

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taxiuncle wrote:

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hmm...how about making our taxi stories into youtube video for fun...

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How do you mean ? Actual incidents or re-enactment ? Actual live footage would of course be very interesting but not many are available I think. for 2nd option you need "actors".

I have another proposal. Why not compile all our stories into a book. Let's get together say 100 stories from members' contributions. The book can be called100 Taxi Uncle Stories.Active members and contributors will get complimentary copies. If sales is good, members can benefit from the profits.

Here is the math :

First printing/edition 1500 copies, total cost $5000

Retail price $16 (inc GST)

Per copy : Distribution cost = 60%. Nett sales proceeds = $5.98 (approx. $6)

If we sell 850 copies, we break even.

Suppose we reserve 300 copies for internal circulation (for members, etc), balance 350 copies.

350 X 5.98 = $2093 (profit).

In other words, to make the first $2093 profit, we must sell 1200 copies.

Any comments ?

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Hey smoothrider, I think it's a great idea to compile 100 Taxi Uncle stories..I hope to contribute some of my own. The math can come later..

taxiuncle wrote:

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i support, great idea to have a 100 Taxiuncle's Stories.

let me know how i could help. open a private forum for only invited guests?

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Exactly. Open a new forum for members only. Then throw it open to all members to contribute their personal short stories. When we have enough, we can put it all in a book. Give the ghost stories a hard fight. Maybe can call it :DO YOU HAVE A STORY TO SHARE ?

I'm quite sure many TDs have plenty of interesting stories from their daily encounters. Good or bad - is okay - so long as there is something to learn from it, maybe a lesson along the lines of " . . . the moral of the story is . . .". Or strange, weird, funny, generous, kind, naughty, noisy, high, moody, depressed are some of the types of pax we meet. Or celebrities, Ah Longs, and all kinds of professions. Come on, these stories are just waiting to be heard by everyone else. Let's give it a shot !

joetanks <<< Of course open for discussion, but I suggest we leave out inter-company "politics" or problems whenever switching HIRER/FLEET/BRAND from this forum under DO YOU HAVE A STORY TO SHARE ?. The idea I have in mind for this "book project" is for general public interest and should not include unpleasant dirty linen.

Maybe your idea can be in a separate forum title like DRIVER ISSUES AND PROBLEMS.

(Btw, sorry to hear about your insurance money problems. I have not done super relief before, so haven't faced such issues.)

joetanks wrote:

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Yes, can open up for members to contribute....good idea.

But some issues concerning each of the taxi companies can also include? Fpr example, I was doing super relief for a hirer who is driving a taxi from Permier Cab. I had to waste my insurance money because they do not accept the insurance money (which Premium Changi South collected for Toa Payoh Premium fleet) as being applicable for their Changi South fleet.

So, in the end, I had to forfeit my insurance (which I paid less than 1 week ago) and pay for new insurance (when I did super relief for one of their hirers who took their Changi South taxi).

This kind of story can also tell....????? I also heard horror stories when you return the cab to them, anyone has the same experience? Thank you for my chance to bring this out.

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Hey joetanks,

I was super relief for Premier before I became permanent relief for SMRT. I did not have such problems leh..

Premier has a few groups of subcontractors who rent a fleet of taxis from them and in turn rent out to super reliefs. These super reliefs do not need to pay any deposit to drive. Just insurance and a small admin fee only. Toa Payoh and Bedok South (I am not aware of Changi South group) probably belong to different subcontractors.

I actually registered first with Clementi, then switched to Bedok South as it's nearer to my home. No problem with that. As far as I am aware, there are a few groups:

1. Clementi, AMK, Bedok belong to one group.

2. Tampines Gp

3. Toa Payoh Gp.

But the taxi condition, interior, exterior and mechanical, damned jialat one. Same taxi pool used by many many different drivers. Once,I waited to collect my taxi, it never came..night relief told me taxi broke down and I had no taxi to drive for that day.

Handover pretty simple. Day driver no need wash, night driver will wash. But day driver send taxi for servicing.

Once again, my fingers are itchy for a new book.

Many things have happened since "Cabbies : The Inside Story". Pah-lingo and other chat and talkie channels, third-party taxi-booking apps, more free phone apps with airport/MBCC/traffic/other info, the MCE and ongoing Marina South development, the planned transformation of Changi airport with a new taxi-queueing system, etc, upcoming revision of taxi-fares, stricter TDVL passing standards, Google maps rediscovered, upcoming Downtown line, and more . . .

If you have read "Cabbies : The Inside Story", tell me what you would like to read more of.

You can rest assured that I will listen to your feedback and take note of it when I come out with my next book.

Let's hear your comments !

Taxilim >>> True true ! Thanks for your suggestion. Actually I get that all the time. I do chat with my passengers whenever they are in the mood. Sometimes I also take other taxis, for instance to collect my vehicle from the workshop. There's always not enuf time to hear everything they have to say because the journey is too short.