Why can't we look into mirrors for answers to our own assertions?
What is culture of Singapore and its citizens like the way they conduct themselves vis a vis others, service providers in particular in the first place?
What do we expect from a worker in the service industry working for $4 an hour on a contract basis without the legislated benefits of a full everything in the works employment?
You want respect, courtesy, deference, stand on your toes and get ready to jump when told to? The cheaper, faster and damn your rights as a human being thing?
You don't get that, you complain, right?
Do we actually tell ourselves instinctively, courtesy begets courtesy, temperate our own expectations, do to others what we expect others to do to us. Help ourselves if we are healthy and capable?
In the study of the case in this thread perhaps the TS can answer some questions that best put into perspective the wrongs and rights of the issue.
From the evidences produced, it can be established that TS made a current booking ie. called for a cab for immediate use which incurred an added cost of $3.30 (applicable during the peak operation hours stipulated) with 30 cents deducted by the taxi company call center as a service fee. so the driver gets $3. Off peak hours incurs $1 less.
Did TS make the call when he was all ready, out of the door and had his luggage by the pick up point? Or he made and received confirmation and arrival time of say 3 to 5 minutes while still in his own home?
Say the taxi arrived in 4 minutes, the driver seeing no one at the pick up point, used his terminal system to inform the customer, did the Ts pick up the automated call to confirm his acknowledgement and then dawdled to the taxi?
Now at "15 meters" from the taxi after another 5 minutes had elapsed making the taxi earned the extra $3 the hard way was he expecting the driver to jump out and help carry the luggage to the taxi rear boot? Not that I can't see TS could had slung his bag on his shoulders and pulled the big and small trunks in each hand along with the small grocery bag.
Does time is money comes to mind? Whose time?
Veteran and experienced taxi drivers with some backbone develop an ability to "profile" customers. It is called an evolution of the human mind. From the days when homo sapiens were apes. It helps them to see themselves as individual human beings. And not a Lee Kuan Yew nurtured digit in Sinkieland. At the very least whenever they could unless it's not prudent to do so.
It have been a perennial grouse among Singaporeans that people in the local service industries grovels before foreigners especially whites and look down on locals. Air crews comes to mind. Since when had a local greets you before making a request?
Coming back to aircrews. There is this post with the comment that taxi drivers had been seen to be always helping aircrew with the luggage. Why? Aircrew don't tip. It is not in the culture. They are very thrifty when it comes to personal job expenses. Ask them. The answer is that aircrews don't give taxi drivers problems. They face the same job hazards. Courtesy begets courtesy, remember?
Try this for perspective. When you pay for transport, you are being charged for insurance cost for part of the fare. The taxi driver bears the same obligations. He has to pay for the insurance cost in his rental fee and the excess in insurance claims when he is at fult, partial or fully. In the case of Comfort Transportation, when he goes through a "stepped on shit" year, getting into two at fault accidents within a year means immediate termination of his hiring contract. And that without factoring the traffic fines which forms another integral part of the job hazard.
And for those who complain about how expensive taxi fares are, excuse me, your mother still paying your utilities bills?
