The human in the taxi.

People always question me as to why I tend to ‘waste money’ taking taxis to travel around. They try to encourage me to save money by citing how extensive the current bus and MRT services are, and that taking a cab may not necessarily save you time – and definitely not money. Granted, a taxi ride to say East Coast Park might cost me 10 bucks, while a bus ride to the nearest stop would cost me slightly lesser than 2, but I just cannot resist the thought of taking a comfortable car-ride down to my destination.

Perhaps it is also my propensity to procrastination that drives me to flag down a cab. Whenever I make plans meet at a specific venue at a certain time, I tend to delay my preparations to step out of the house, up till a point where I convince myself that I can simply take a cab so that I would not be late for my appointment. So there you go, reason one why I’d be more likely to blow 10 dollars than spend time on the bus/train.

Another reason why I tend to take the ‘easier way out’ is that taking the bus and trains usually involve a lot of waiting time. Waiting for the bus, then for the train at the interchange, then the bus again, and I do not like spending an hour plus travelling to a place where I can get to by taxi in like 15 min. But then again, it’s not as if I usually put the saved time to good use – nothing very productive usually.

These sound like really pathetic justifications for my blatant wastage of money ‘that does not come easy'. But then again, I admit I am rather spoilt in that aspect. I used to be ferried around by my parents, and I usually end up in a car one way or another. Perhaps it is just a really bad habit I have since a long time ago.

There is actually one reason why I enjoy taking cabs, and it is in fact a rather new reason – the taxi-drivers I get to come across. The seemingly rough or uneducated ‘uncles’ we see in taxis are in fact a great source of inspiration. (No, not for blog posts like these.) I make it a point to talk to the taxi drivers whenever I get on a taxi because I believe that they are more than willing to have someone to chat with during the journey. Being cooped up in a metallic box on wheels the entire day with nothing but an electronic voice to inform you of new passengers can literally drive you nuts. These poor people need a human touch to life – and an outlet of sorts for the grumpy ones.

Taxi drivers can talk about anything, everything, anywhere, everywhere. I have heard of interpretations of life, explanations to the political scene in Singapore, complaints of government policies, lamenting of new taxi rates, lessons on life, advice on the need to further your education, practically everything! And boy can these people talk. All you need to do is ask a simple ‘Uncle, how’s your intake nowadays with the new rates?’ and you get a reply longer than my all my blog posts combined. Just give a polite ‘Ahh, yes,’ or a ‘Oh, okay,’ once in a while, and you get to tune in to a radio station that gives you a whole new perspective to things you have never thought of before. And if you take it all with a pinch of salt – something I also learnt from another taxi-driver – you will definitely learn something out of your short conversation (or monologue). There is much to be learnt from them – stuff that schools never teach you.

Since the first time I initiated a conversation with a taxi-driver, I have never failed to start one when I hopped on the cab. It’s really simple: Smile when you get in, ask to go to your destination politely, and simply ask a question to start it off. It does not require much on your part, and you probably get to cheer a person up, while picking up some conversational skills yourself. Try it the next time you take a cab. (I think it also serves as a distraction from the fact that I am running late while stuck in a jam.)

Taxi fares are more than just a travelling expense now. It’s a fee for a great deal more – not simply an excuse to justify my over-spending in this case.
I still want my driving license. But no, not so that I can be cooped up in a metallic box on wheels the entire day with nothing but an electronic voice...