These days I have been taking more taxi rides. I take taxi rides home to get home quicker. It’s just much faster at the expense of my money. But somehow I feel happier when I ride taxi.
And so the taxi driver would try to pick a conversation with me for some strange reason. Even when I’m reading a magazine, they just had to speak to me. Of course, when people speak to me, I kindly entertain them. That was until I really got too bored of entertaining them.
(Silvercab in Singapore which I took picture of.)
And the problem? They always talked about the same thing.
You see, I used to return home in green (uniform) so no points for the taxi driver figuring out where I work as. And they’ll start talking.
Taxi driver: So which camp you from eh?
Mr. Dew: Pulau Tekong.
Taxi driver: Wah… Recruit eh?
Mr. Dew: Yeah, still one.
Taxi driver: Last time my army time so bad. I was the in the worst company for… [Blah blah blah...] And… [Blah blah blah...] So which company are you from?
Mr. Dew: [MyCompany]
Taxi driver: You very fortunate already. That time, Uncle have to… [Blah blah blah...] That was… [Blah blah blah...] And… [Blah blah blah...] Then… [Blah blah blah...] So you which camp?
Mr. Dew: Pulau Tekong.
If I meet male drivers, they just talk about their army experience. If I meet female drivers, some actually went to talk about their kids. One female driver even told me her own experience in the army!
One thing I have to admit though. Most of the drivers’ stories are amazing. And the way that they’ve gone through makes me feel that the army is quite inhuman, if you get what I mean.
I like listening to what people have to say generally. Unfortunately, after listening to so many taxi drivers, I can’t help but to wish that they won’t talk about army during my ride back. I just want to forget everything about army and have this tiny little break.
Tags: annoyance, boredom, national service, taxi
“One female driver even told me her own experience in the army!”
Female got NS?!?!
by cockroach//è??è?? (Jan 23, 2006 at 11 PM)Those taxis looks much more interesting than those yellow cabs.
by Nafcom (Jan 27, 2006 at 9 PM)sometimes taxi drives are very quiet. too quiet. haha.
by june (Jan 28, 2006 at 5 PM)sometimes taxi drives are very quiet. too quiet. haha.
by june (Jan 28, 2006 at 5 PM)cockroach//è??è??: They may be working for MINDEF in many ways. The one I met was a lecturer at the manpower side I think. I had quite an interesting chat with her.
Nafcom: Oh, we have those yellow cabs too. We have the full yellow ones, the half-yellow-half-black one, the striking blue one, the ugly pale green one (sorry, as much as I like pale green, I have to say it looks horrible on cars) and white Mercedes taxis. That’s quite a lot for a tiny country, hahaa…
june: You can try talking to them actually. They are more than happy to chat with you usually.
by Mr. Dew (Jan 30, 2006 at 9 PM)