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Things I don't like about Singapore

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hey_smile
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Post by hey_smile » Wed, 18 Aug 2010 5:32 pm

JayCee wrote:
carlsum1986 wrote:hidden costs
Definitely agree with this one, very annoying when you see a price list but then the bill comes and you have the extra 7% GST on top, why not just include it in the main price list in the first place like most other places in the world?
It's to tell u... "I don't pocket this amount of money... it's for the government...so don't blame me" And of course there's the 10% service charge... otherwise known as "let me decide on your tip amount, so it's standardized across the nation"

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Post by sundaymorningstaple » Wed, 18 Aug 2010 6:27 pm

hey_smile wrote:And of course there's the 10% service charge... otherwise known as "let me decide on your tip amount, so it's standardized across the nation"
That's the one that grips me the most. If the employees are lucky they MIGHT see 5% of that amount collected and the other 95% goes straight into the owners pocket. :x
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

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Post by Strong Eagle » Fri, 20 Aug 2010 8:55 am

hey_smile wrote:
JayCee wrote:
carlsum1986 wrote:hidden costs
Definitely agree with this one, very annoying when you see a price list but then the bill comes and you have the extra 7% GST on top, why not just include it in the main price list in the first place like most other places in the world?
It's to tell u... "I don't pocket this amount of money... it's for the government...so don't blame me" And of course there's the 10% service charge... otherwise known as "let me decide on your tip amount, so it's standardized across the nation"
It is not a tip. It is a 'service charge' for serving the food you bought and the employees never see any of it. Ask them. The restaurant collects GST on it and pays it to the gahmen. They must declare the service charge as revenue on their corporate income tax forms.

It is a rip off. Only hotels and restaurants are allowed to add GST because of the service charge. So what it does is allow the restaurants to falsely advertise prices... your $10 meal actually costs you 17 percent more or $11.70. The gahmen ought to ban this practice. I try to avoid service charge restaurants for this reason.

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Post by x9200 » Sat, 21 Aug 2010 8:43 am

One of the things that p*s me off most here is that everybody tries to show their painfully obvious failures as a great success or if on the ground of the sells and marketing as opportunity to show how great they are. So if you buy something that gets soon broken of course this is not a problem of the manufacturer or the seller but the client. "We are trying our best to help you Sir to solve YOUR problem".
And If I see any letter from the companies like telecom or media ... actually any local ones including the condo management saying that due to their constant pursue to improve quality of their service yadayada they will do this or that it is a sure thing something already is or soon will be f*cked.

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Post by carlsum1986 » Sat, 21 Aug 2010 11:27 am

x9200 wrote:One of the things that p*s me off most here is that everybody tries to show their painfully obvious failures as a great success or if on the ground of the sells and marketing as opportunity to show how great they are. So if you buy something that gets soon broken of course this is not a problem of the manufacturer or the seller but the client. "We are trying our best to help you Sir to solve YOUR problem".
And If I see any letter from the companies like telecom or media ... actually any local ones including the condo management saying that due to their constant pursue to improve quality of their service yadayada they will do this or that it is a sure thing something already is or soon will be f*cked.
there one famous sayin for this that I hear from the locals regularly..they are the best of the best therefore they are never wrong... :lol:

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Post by Asian_Geekette » Sun, 22 Aug 2010 2:39 pm

painkillerPink wrote: <snip>

2) Taxi drivers
Local driver (from the airport): Where to?
Foreigner: Amara hotel, please.
Local driver: How do you want to go there?
Foreigner: :o

<snip>

5) Yep, deodorants were not commonly found until about five years ago. No, they've never heard of antiperspirant either.
For point 2 above, I used to say whichever is the fastest way. Before I moved here, I'd often come here for work trips and it never failed to amuse me whenever taxi drivers in the airport asked me that question. I'll just say through the fastest route possible. :P

For point 5 above, I often carry a small container which has green balm (like tiger balm). I dab a lil bit of this on the tip of my nose so I can survive those long MRT or bus rides with people who never heard of deodorants/antiperspirant. :)
My business is not to remake myself, but make the absolute best out of what God made. -Robert Browning

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Post by carteki » Sun, 22 Aug 2010 3:28 pm

Taxi sytem in total - hours wasted on the phone; not being picked up; cabs suddenly lighting up the "busy" light when they see you; being taken the long way home - enough to make me want to get a car... (I use public transport as much as possible, but it has its limits)

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Post by x9200 » Sun, 22 Aug 2010 3:47 pm

Asian_Geekette wrote:For point 2 above, I used to say whichever is the fastest way. Before I moved here, I'd often come here for work trips and it never failed to amuse me whenever taxi drivers in the airport asked me that question. I'll just say through the fastest route possible. :P
I was told by a few cabbies that they do it or even are requested to do it by their companies to avoid situations where the customers complain not being driven a particular route. I believe this is a reasonable explanation as often the route they voluntarily take defy common sense at best.

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Post by hey_smile » Mon, 23 Aug 2010 11:40 am

1)I'd an experience in a cab, not in SG but in Seoul where this cabby who thinks he's some stuntman, drove his car against the traffic, into a road full of cars. I probably should have explained I needed to be there alive.

2)Yea that's another one... I sat beside this guy the other day who had such a bad breath, as if he swallowed some dead skunk...when he yawned... I just left and stood throughout the journey. No kidding, I wanted to throw up.
Asian_Geekette wrote:
For point 2 above, I used to say whichever is the fastest way. Before I moved here, I'd often come here for work trips and it never failed to amuse me whenever taxi drivers in the airport asked me that question. I'll just say through the fastest route possible. :P

For point 5 above, I often carry a small container which has green balm (like tiger balm). I dab a lil bit of this on the tip of my nose so I can survive those long MRT or bus rides with people who never heard of deodorants/antiperspirant. :)
Last edited by hey_smile on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 11:54 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by carteki » Mon, 23 Aug 2010 11:45 am

x9200 wrote:
Asian_Geekette wrote:For point 2 above, I used to say whichever is the fastest way. Before I moved here, I'd often come here for work trips and it never failed to amuse me whenever taxi drivers in the airport asked me that question. I'll just say through the fastest route possible. :P
I was told by a few cabbies that they do it or even are requested to do it by their companies to avoid situations where the customers complain not being driven a particular route. I believe this is a reasonable explanation as often the route they voluntarily take defy common sense at best.
Who is "they"? the customers - okay, makes sense - or the cabbies?

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Post by x9200 » Mon, 23 Aug 2010 1:15 pm

carteki wrote:
x9200 wrote:
Asian_Geekette wrote:For point 2 above, I used to say whichever is the fastest way. Before I moved here, I'd often come here for work trips and it never failed to amuse me whenever taxi drivers in the airport asked me that question. I'll just say through the fastest route possible. :P
I was told by a few cabbies that they do it or even are requested to do it by their companies to avoid situations where the customers complain not being driven a particular route. I believe this is a reasonable explanation as often the route they voluntarily take defy common sense at best.
Who is "they"? the customers - okay, makes sense - or the cabbies?
The cabbies of course. Many of them can not even handle the proper logistics behind the line change but I guess the main problem is that often they have no clue where is the place they are requested to go so the strategy is to go somewhere near and lets see what happens or to call a cabbie friend on the way.

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Post by hey_smile » Mon, 23 Aug 2010 2:27 pm

Not true, unless they are new cabbies. Most of them know the twist and turns, and the roads with heavy traffic to avoid.
x9200 wrote:
carteki wrote:
x9200 wrote: I was told by a few cabbies that they do it or even are requested to do it by their companies to avoid situations where the customers complain not being driven a particular route. I believe this is a reasonable explanation as often the route they voluntarily take defy common sense at best.
Who is "they"? the customers - okay, makes sense - or the cabbies?
The cabbies of course. Many of them can not even handle the proper logistics behind the line change but I guess the main problem is that often they have no clue where is the place they are requested to go so the strategy is to go somewhere near and lets see what happens or to call a cabbie friend on the way.

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Post by carlsum1986 » Mon, 23 Aug 2010 2:43 pm

x9200 wrote:
carteki wrote:
x9200 wrote: I was told by a few cabbies that they do it or even are requested to do it by their companies to avoid situations where the customers complain not being driven a particular route. I believe this is a reasonable explanation as often the route they voluntarily take defy common sense at best.
Who is "they"? the customers - okay, makes sense - or the cabbies?
The cabbies of course. Many of them can not even handle the proper logistics behind the line change but I guess the main problem is that often they have no clue where is the place they are requested to go so the strategy is to go somewhere near and lets see what happens or to call a cabbie friend on the way.
dont those cabbies come equipped with gps? the monitors they have above their gear stick arent those gps capable equipment?
Correct me if I am wrong cause that is the impression I have.

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Post by QRM » Mon, 23 Aug 2010 2:47 pm

x9200 wrote:
Asian_Geekette wrote:For point 2 above, I used to say whichever is the fastest way. Before I moved here, I'd often come here for work trips and it never failed to amuse me whenever taxi drivers in the airport asked me that question. I'll just say through the fastest route possible. :P
I was told by a few cabbies that they do it or even are requested to do it by their companies to avoid situations where the customers complain not being driven a particular route. I believe this is a reasonable explanation as often the route they voluntarily take defy common sense at best.
Normally they ask because the shortest route is not necessary the cheapest, they are checking if you dont mind paying the extra ERP surcharge. On the whole I am very impressed with the taxi service in Singapore, cheap (compare to UK), clean and efficient. If there is one gripe, there is no clear guidelines on picking people up from the roadside. Some roads you can some you cant. They should make it obvious otherwise you will have mystified tourists.

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Post by x9200 » Mon, 23 Aug 2010 4:09 pm

hey_smile wrote:Not true, unless they are new cabbies. Most of them know the twist and turns, and the roads with heavy traffic to avoid.
True true, you only have to realize that it depends on the locations you typically travel to and yours are unlikely similar to mine. You may also simply not know the best route so you believe they do a good job.
I can give you an example where vast majority of the cabbies typically fails: going from the Queensway/Botanic Garden location to NTU. During morning rush hours PIE is very often blocked and the cabbies will still go over there via PIE having 2 alternative faster and shorter routes.
Yes, situation improved after more cabs got GPS onboard but not really that dramatically.

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