I know you are making a living, and going to places with better chances of a immediate hire is a draw to you. On weekends morning/afternoon, you would want to avoid bringing customers to town because the chances of an empty car back to neighbourhoods is high. But face it, when your company passed the taxi to you, they did not let you pick customers.
Let me set my record straight, and for those who are ignorant about hailing a cab, you may wish to read on.
When a taxi driver displays a green "Taxi" sign, it means the taxi is available for you to go any location. They can not stop, wind down their window, and ask where are you going, and drive away if your location does not suit their liking. We pick you, you dont pick us. We pick them, they dont pick us.
When a taxi driver displays "Change Shift" sign, it means the driver is not allowed to pick up passengers (unless on normal roads, and taxi stand is a no no). They must proceed straight to meet their hirer or relief only. If a "Change Shift" taxi driver at taxi stand asks where am I going, I would simply hop in and demand to go to my destination. If you are angry with me, and you dont want to drive to my location, be prepare to lim kopi with LTA or your company.
Again, its us picking you, you dont pick us. If you are changing shift, you jolly well go and change shift. If you are not changing shift, you jolly well drive us to where we want. Period.
I am sure many of you who queue at taxi stands faces such scenarios too. Taxi drivers would display "Change Shift" and would inch towards pax and ask "Go where? Yishun? Cannot! You go Bedok? Ok come in".
EDMW, such nonsense should not be tolerated by you or me anymore. Taxi drivers, if you happen to chut stunt and you kenna me as your passenger, you be prepared to lim kopi and start your next job interview.
Summary for passengers to note:
Green "Taxi" sign on taxi - You can just jump straight into the taxi. "Change Shift" - The taxi driver must not pick up passengers at taxi stands. "Busy" sign - Self explanatory Fare meter - Taxi drivers can only start the fare meter after you hop into the cab. That is the bottomline. No other ways.
