<TABLE id=msgUN border=0 cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD id=msgUNsubj vAlign=top> Coffeeshop Chit Chat - PRC Bus Driver: Speak Mandarin Or Else..</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right>
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Speak in Mandarin, says shuttle bus driver on Orchard route
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ON SUNDAY, I boarded a shuttle bus covering the Orchard Road malls route. I asked the driver whether his stop was at Tangs or Lucky Plaza. I did not understand his response so I repeated my question and again I could not understand him. A passenger seated nearby gave me the information I needed.
A little later, I found out the driver was telling me to speak in Mandarin. I assume he must be a recently recruited China national.
Earlier, another bus on the same route stopped for no apparent reason in front of the Four Seasons Hotel. The door near me opened and a man from outside muttered something to me. I asked him to direct his question to the driver as I thought he wanted to know if the bus was going his way. Instead, he repeated what he had said. Suddenly, many in the bus stood up. It turned out he was asking us to get off and board another bus behind ours.
I believe this new service is operated by the Singapore Tourism Board, which should know better than to use a driver who does not even know the English names of the malls he stops at on the fairly short route.
Denis Distant
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Speak in Mandarin, says shuttle bus driver on Orchard route
<!-- by line --><!-- end by line -->
<!-- end left side bar --><!-- story content : start -->
ON SUNDAY, I boarded a shuttle bus covering the Orchard Road malls route. I asked the driver whether his stop was at Tangs or Lucky Plaza. I did not understand his response so I repeated my question and again I could not understand him. A passenger seated nearby gave me the information I needed.
A little later, I found out the driver was telling me to speak in Mandarin. I assume he must be a recently recruited China national.
Earlier, another bus on the same route stopped for no apparent reason in front of the Four Seasons Hotel. The door near me opened and a man from outside muttered something to me. I asked him to direct his question to the driver as I thought he wanted to know if the bus was going his way. Instead, he repeated what he had said. Suddenly, many in the bus stood up. It turned out he was asking us to get off and board another bus behind ours.
I believe this new service is operated by the Singapore Tourism Board, which should know better than to use a driver who does not even know the English names of the malls he stops at on the fairly short route.
Denis Distant
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