my late dad was a taxi driver, too!

Malaysian taxis voted as the worst in the world! not surprising, if you ask me...but definitely disappointing. what a shame!

full story can be found here. just an excerpt of the article:

The ads promoting "Malaysia: Truly Asia" aim to welcome visitors with a warm smile to a prosperous and modern nation, so the taxi fleet branded "the worst in the world" can come as a bit of a shock.
Even the locals are not spared the shabby service of unkempt and hostile drivers behind the wheels of decrepit vehicles who refuse to use the meter, overcharge and pick-and-choose which destinations they will travel to.

wait...

why does this make me sad? first & foremost becoz i m a malaysian. it's terrible and embarrassing to be voted the worst in the world.

above all that, becoz my late dad was a taxi driver himself for over 20 years. every time when i board a taxi - i will chat with the drivers. talking to them somehow makes me feel i m connected to my dad, who left us 7 years ago.

it's tough life being a taxi driver. try driving around all day under the hot scorching sun, getting stuck in jams, having irregular meal times, having to control your about-to-burst bladder. on and on... i still remember there were at least twice when dad came home with his face and shirt stained with blood! yup, we now drive around feeling so paranoid, thinking about those new crime tactics that we just read from our emails or the news. you know, those where potential crimes take place if someone hit your car or knocked on your window. think of the risk and fear that these taxi drivers had to encounter, when they had to take in passengers. to make a living for themselves and their loved ones, they had no choice but to take these passengers. yes, they can reject the suspicious ones, but what if they are genuine and they decide to report to the authorities the cabby who declined their business?

well... i don't deny that there are black sheep amongst the pack. i have met some rather rude or unfriendly taxi drivers before. and there were some who made me wanna jump out the taxi as soon as i got on, coz they look so kidnapperish/robberish. and then there were some who had 'upgraded' their meters to run faster, as if to catch up with the fast-paced lives of these days.

i just plead that before we point our fingers at ALL the taxi drivers, let us also be considerate and put ourselves in their shoes.

together, hand in hand, may the dreams of our Malaysian taxi drivers and all Malaysians come true...