How about New Year gift, SMRT? By Reggie J January 17, 2009 Print Ready Email Article
WE HAD been warned.
The thought of spending the wee hours of New Year's Day trudging around and tramping on everyone else's mother-in-law in party clothes trying to hail a cab should have been enough to make some of us stay home. But we never learn.
After a hectic and dismal year, we wanted to let out steam.
With a group of friends, we ushered in the New Year in the city.
With the same group of friends, at 35 minutes past midnight, our problem of getting home began.
The roads were packed with revellers.
There would been been almost 20,000 cabs on the road that night, but not one for us on this, the most infamously intoxicating night of the year.
You don't need to be a maths wizard to figure out that with some 100,000 revellers chasing those 20,000 cabs, the odds were not very good.
Half an hour later, we were tired, still a little inebriated and dizzy - and cabless.
Our efforts to call for a cab were met by engaged tones. My fingers were numb and my handphone was in overdrive.
And it seemed that everyone around us was doing exactly the same thing.
It seemed that all the people lining the streets from Raffles City to Cathay were trying in vain to find a cab, a trishaw or any vehicle that would stop for anyone.
We kept walking from one taxi stand to another and found long queues everywhere.
Throngs of people danced, while others walked or drank or just stood around - but there was no vacant cab in sight.
We finally got to Orchard station, exhausted and that was where we had a brainwave. Why not take the MRT?
The 1.30am train was about to leave. We were told it would be the last.
I do not remember who paid for my ticket, but I was glad finally to be home.
In London, all trains leaving the city run through the small hours of the morning for the revellers and... wait for it... for free.
In Sydney and New York, people are urged to use the trains, especially if they want to drink, and again it's free after midnight on this day.
Maybe SMRT can learn that 1.30am is too early for the last train leave the city.
And why can't it be generous enough to fling the gantries open for free for a few hours on the first day of the year?
Meanwhile, my friends, don't whinge about not being able to get a cab after your countdown party. Use your legs to do some walking, and catch a train.
You will save yourselves a fortune in cab fares, and get some exercise too.
# The writer is a former Singaporean marketing professional
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If you are willing to admit faults, you have one less fault to admit.
Appreciate if you could email me a photo of what you look like so in future, if you were to hail my cab, I would gladly inform you that this cab is unavailable to you.
Thank you and have a nice free day!
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No one understands the plight of being a taxi driver unless you had first hand experience - So STOP whining and start driving!
"The writer is a former Singaporean marketing professional". Read this line properly!! A former Singaporean - that means he's a QUITTER!!!. Denounce Singpore citizenship, came back for a holiday and demands free train rides. My reply to him: GO FU*K SPIDER !! Go back to your new country and ask your new garmen to provide you free train rides. In Singapore, nothing is free. You earn your keep!!!
Technically speaking, the writer is a quitter. Not only is he a quitter, he probably came back to work when his adopted country ran out of jobs for him and he has to shamely/unashamely come back here to look for a job. Looks like he is one of those typical KS people, and rightly so, to bring a bad name to Singapore. After he quitted Singapore, it is apparent that he has yet to give up his behaviour and is beginning to transfer this mentality to his adopted country.
Technically speaking, the writer is a quitter. Not only is he a quitter, he probably came back to work when his adopted country ran out of jobs for him and he has to shamely/unashamely come back here to look for a job.
ya,, ya,, he come back here to work as a FT !! a FT u know ?!?!?! a FALLEN TALENT u know ?!?! dont play play hor,,,,
