Taxi Nightmares

[JR8]

@ JR8,

Yeah but how much do they get paid?
They earn enough to be able to afford a decent life in the U.K.
High standard of taxi regulations also demand an equally humane pay.

Having such stringent laws in Singapore might be good for the consumer, but really the pittance the taxi drivers get paid in Singapore, I'd be surprised and quite dismayed if such a system is in place without their wages increased.

I met quite a few who pay half their daily earnings alone in just taxi rental. Its just sad.

I don't know how much they get paid, but then I doubt you do either (ref: yr comment re: 'decent quality of life'). Of course a taxi in London costs more than in Singapore, but then the (input) costs of everything are much higher, so there is little surprise.

I don't know the proportion but there is a significant element of London black-cab drivers who hire their vehicles too!

[AstroGal]

I have some friends and relatives living in the U.K, that's where i get my info from.

Granted, its 3rd party info but you did mention you don't know the wages. :p

Of course, we would like to think that U.K is on par with Singapore in terms of standard of living.

It really varies. Some things in the U.K is really cheap, others, really expensive. In Singapore, those same things might be the opposite.

I see a house in the U.K selling to 170,000 pounds and think, blimey (haha sorry that was the first word which came to mind) that is expensive because I convert it mentally into Singapore dollars and the SG wage.
But considering the pay scale there its not THAT expensive.

Really depends.

But like I said. Those taxi drivers earn crap loads more than SG ones, better industry standards, better conditions - you would expect that they would be expected to live up to 'better standards'.

But yes there are many minor annoyances with some Singapore taxi drivers, I can't fault that. I just think its taken a little way over the top by fellow S'poreans (Assuming you are one), considering that I see them as earning slave wages but expected to give 5 star customer service.

[JR8]

I have some friends and relatives living in the U.K, that's where i get my info from.

Granted, its 3rd party info but you did mention you don't know the wages. :p

Of course, we would like to think that U.K is on par with Singapore in terms of standard of living.

It really varies. Some things in the U.K is really cheap, others, really expensive. In Singapore, those same things might be the opposite.

I see a house in the U.K selling to 170,000 pounds and think, blimey (haha sorry that was the first word which came to mind) that is expensive because I convert it mentally into Singapore dollars and the SG wage.
But considering the pay scale there its not THAT expensive.

Really depends.

But like I said. Those taxi drivers earn crap loads more than SG ones, better industry standards, better conditions - you would expect that they would be expected to live up to 'better standards'.

But yes there are many minor annoyances with some Singapore taxi drivers, I can't fault that. I just think its taken a little way over the top by fellow S'poreans (Assuming you are one), considering that I see them as earning slave wages but expected to give 5 star customer service.

£170k for a house, yes that is cheap. Presumably some dodgy town up north?

No I'm not SGn, more of a permanent nomad ...

[x9200]

If they would be so badly paid as you suggest you would expect them to cease every opportunity to earn more money and this is clearly and frequently not the case. They behave like they are behind the wheel just for fun ... oh they will not go here or there, they will not stop to pick up you from the curb, things like this. Not all of them of course but many. Too many.

[JR8]

I've been taken advantage by cab drivers a bit when traveling and kind of assume it's going to happen to a certain extent. The thing I've learned though is to know the rates before getting in a cab and estimating the distance and cost of my trip. I'll usually make a deal with the driver about the cost... so if the trip was (by my estimate) $10 I'll tell him I'll give him something like $13 to get me there the quickest way. That way he knows I'll tip and he won't jerk me around.

So you're happy to routinely pay say 30% over the odds, in order to avert the risk of occasionally feeling you have been over-charged?


Oooooh-kay!

[sundaymorningstaple]

That's a spammer for you. But he's history now and you missed one! You would have had to check his other two posts - they had the triple spam links in the sigs

[Calmday]

You guys can say what you want. The Taxi drivers here are terrible. Most of them can’t drive a constant speed to save their lives.
I have fished offshore my entire life and I DO NOT get motion sickness but Singapore cabbies have made me feel green more than once. The worst is when you get in the cab and after you take off you realize that the cabbie is wiggling his head back and forth and shrugging his shoulders vigorously to try and keep awake because he has been driving for two days.
My child does not get in a Singapore Taxi cab. One because he pukes every single time (not once in our car) and two because it’s our job to protect him from nut job cabbies who can’t drive.

And yes they will most certainly try to take you the tourist rout if they think that you might not know better.

[JR8]

That's a spammer for you. But he's history now and you missed one! You would have had to check his other two posts - they had the triple spam links in the sigs

Darn! Was this the one with the 'Newport Beach' tagline? If so, I did check 'em but well, that alone is not a breach eh?

Onwards ho!

[aster]

I think cabbies are fine when it comes to driving, definitely better than your typical driver or worse... the crazy expat wife in a SUV that thinks there is no traffic code in Singapore.

Once in a long time they'll take a detour that lengthens the journey, but overall I find the cabbies here to be great.

[x9200]

They are not fine but pretty typical. They drive exactly like the rest of the population with the exception of manual gearboxes still present in many cabs. Half of the cabbies have no idea how to use them.

crazy expat wife in a SUV that thinks there is no traffic code in Singapore.

So acts an average SG driver.

[aster]

I would say worse. Over half of the cases of utter stupidity on the road that I witnessed were of the expat kind, which is scary considering the % of overall drivers that are expats. Then again it might have to do with the area I live in.

There is definitely something wrong with the traffic laws here if you see cars ploughing through red lights even with a police car stopped at an intersection. Seems like there is a complete disregard for any laws or regulations, just as if there weren't any in existence... and I truly wonder if hitting a pedestrian gets you anything more than a slap on the wrist.

[x9200]

The law is ok, it is just not executed. For the pedestrians methinks it depends where. If on the pedestrian crossing - the driver is in trouble. If anywhere else then probably no problem.

[Eau2011]

I would say worse. Over half of the cases of utter stupidity on the road that I witnessed were of the expat kind, which is scary considering the % of overall drivers that are expats. Then again it might have to do with the area I live in.

There is definitely something wrong with the traffic laws here if you see cars ploughing through red lights even with a police car stopped at an intersection. Seems like there is a complete disregard for any laws or regulations, just as if there weren't any in existence... and I truly wonder if hitting a pedestrian gets you anything more than a slap on the wrist.

My husband told me to be very careful with those motocyclists. If you hit them, it will be always your fault even if they offended the traffic regulations.

The secretary and her husband had just an accident a week ago and the policeman came and fined them though it's obviously motocyclist's fault.

I haven't yet converted my driver's licence to a Singaporean one, but I already finished those two books.

[x9200]

My husband told me to be very careful with those motocyclists. If you hit them, it will be always your fault even if they offended the traffic regulations.

This is true with two small exceptions: not motocyclists but cyclists and not in Singapore but in Holland
From my experience and overall country socio-political landscape I bet it is just opposite.

The secretary and her husband had just an accident a week ago and the policeman came and fined them though it's obviously motocyclist's fault.

I seriously doubt this - at best they were probably found co-responsible.

[Eau2011]

My husband told me to be very careful with those motocyclists. If you hit them, it will be always your fault even if they offended the traffic regulations.

This is true with two small exceptions: not motocyclists but cyclists and not in Singapore but in Holland
From my experience and overall country socio-political landscape I bet it is just opposite.

The secretary and her husband had just an accident a week ago and the policeman came and fined them though it's obviously motocyclist's fault.

I seriously doubt this - at best they were probably found co-responsible.

Have you seen how they drive on the streets, those motorcyclists? One week ago when I was driving the first time here, I almost hit one of them. They just changed the lane as they like, from the leftmost suddenly to the rightmost without giving any indication.

My husband said they have an IQ of a hen. I absolutely agree.

The secretary (a Singaporean) told him this story and gave him tips of driving in Singapore. Of cause she raised an objection and at the end she did not have to pay.