Taxi driver fined only $1,400 but remains unnamed in a very strange court case

besotted said:

http://www.zaobao.com/xhd/pages/xhd090511.html

新移民开德士 脑筋转弯不怕路难

赵琬仪　(2009-05-11)

　　德士行业有特殊要求，比如要熟悉主要道路和地标，能够和本地不同种族的乘客及外来游客沟通，甚至懂得一些街道地点的民间惯称。若不是土生土长的本地人，初来乍到的新移民开德士，随时可能碰到鸡同鸭讲的情况，沟通费神费力，虎口讨生活更加不容易。

　　本期《新汇点》访问了两名来自中国大陆和香港的新移民德士司机，看他们对在本地的德士行业打拼有什么感受，从中或许也反映出土生土长的本地人可能忽略的一些特别之处。

　　原籍中国西安、1995年成为新加坡公民的沈毛明说：“开德士，就是每天在虎口讨生活”。一言概括了德士司机工作的辛苦，也道出了开德士这门行业所蕴含的辛酸艰难。

　　截至2007年，我国的德士车队多达2万4400多辆。近一年，经济情况急转而下，再加上德士收费调高，德士的载客量在双重打击下持续下降，许多受访的德士司机都感叹：“僧多粥少。”


钱耀圣认为仪表对德士司机也很重要，他每个月都会上美容院做护肤保养。

　　据新加坡德士学院介绍，近年申请德士执照的人数，都保持在每年2000人左右。申请德士司机执照的条件之一是申请者须是新加坡公民，因此学院并没有特别收集新移民德士司机的纪录。事实上，即便是经常搭德士的乘客，也很少能遇到一个口音特别的新移民司机。新移民从事德士行业的人数仍是非常少数。

　　在本地定居多年的两名新移民，放下了原本从事的专业工作，选择驾驶德士，考验他们的不仅是对街道的认识，还有其他种种问题。

前银行电脑部门主管开德士 展现香港人“醒目”的一面

　　1992年从香港移民来新加坡的钱耀圣（洋名Simon，49岁），最早在银行的电脑科技部门工作，辞掉白领工作后，曾在克拉码头的推车档售卖新潮手表。新潮手表虽然在香港广受欢迎，但在新加坡市场，却不能一直保持热度，他经营了五年便结束了生意，在1998年改行开德士。

　　自此，他便以开德士为职业，在2005年还申请到驾豪华马赛地德士，专攻企业公司高档乘客的市场。

　　他说：“那时在克拉码头，每天晚上看到德士站，等德士的乘客大排长龙，克拉码头还专设柜台代客人订德士，心想：‘开德士应该有得赚。’”

请马来青年帮忙翻译

　　如今，已经拥有超过十年驾驶德士经验的他，谈起如何克服德士行业的种种工作挑战，展现了香港人“醒目”（懂得灵活变通）、适应力强的一面。

　　来新前曾在香港渣打银行电脑科技部门担任主管的他说：“接待一般乘客，用英语和华语没问题。若碰到只会讲马来话或福建话的乘客，就有点难度了。”

　　始终未学会马来话的他，有一次接送两名年迈的马来乘客，对方只能念出地区名字，其余都是马来话，听得他一头雾水。刚巧附近的巴士车站有一名马来年轻人，他马上向他求助，请他翻译，总算搞清楚了乘客要去的目的地，顺利完成任务。

　　至于福建话，他化繁为简，掌握了简单的福建话“直走”、“转左、转右”、“够了”，也能顺利过关。

体现香港的领带文化

　　沟通不过是开德士的基本功，如何经营及确保客源，才是考生意头脑的地方。他分享了一些心得，并坦言“不怕其他德士师傅效仿”。这份自信来自他对新加坡和香港两地生活文化差异的了解。他举了打领带的例子，说：“我估计九成的Limo德士司机不打领带，他们是不愿意打领带的。”

　　他的经验显示，德士师傅穿着整齐，就能够赢得客人的好感。经常有客人见到他打领带、穿西装背心的醒目造型，就预订了下一趟的接送服务。现在，他开豪华马赛地德士，已经建立起固定接送的乘客群，服务的多是公司企业的客户，或有钱太太，因此，更加讲究整洁的仪表和温文有礼的服务态度。

　　钱耀圣解释，领带文化在香港十分平常，“在香港，我们念小学便要打领带。十几岁时，便和朋友上洋服店定制西装；毕业后，在银行上班，每名男职员都要打领带。”

　　香港社会先敬罗衣后敬人，也促使香港人从小就讲究衣着打扮。而外型整洁、美观，对于服务行业具有增值作用。他透露，身上的西装背心也是特别找裁缝量身定造的，每个月他还会上美容院做护肤保养，对外型保养的讲究程度，可媲美时下的年轻人。

时间比柴油宝贵

　　怎么善用资源，他和本地一些德士师傅也有不同观点。一些德士师傅宁愿在德士站苦等，避免耗油，而不开着空车到其他地方碰运气，他认为：“我不怕耗油，重要的是从一个点到另一个点，在10分钟的车程便能载到乘客。例如，在办公时间的新达城等乘客，是等不到乘客的；在樟宜机场排队一两小时，我也不会考虑。”

　　换句话说，时间比柴油宝贵，争取时间多载几个乘客，胜过在德士站苦等数小时做几元生意。当然，要有效地实践这个理论，首先是要掌握市区不同载客地点的情况，才不会跑冤枉路。这些都是开德士多年一点一滴累积回来的经验。对钱耀圣这个新移民来说，对市场的娴熟和道路的熟悉，也超过很多本地的德士司机。

　　受全球金融危机影响，德士师傅的生计经营面对更大挑战。经济好时，勤奋的德士师傅若从清晨开工，一直工作到深夜，每天开车超过12小时，一个月可赚高达3000元至5000元，但现在已没有这么“好赚”了。

　　收入是减少了，但是开德士对他来说，仍是时间自由，随时可能接触到新鲜事物的理想工作。访问时，他与记者分享一些和名人乘客合照的照片，这都是德士工作的快乐回忆。


　　（摄影／龙国雄　谢光凭）

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besotted said:

We need good taxi driver like this one below

Please allow Pinoys, Burmese and PRC to drive taxi - the competition will bring up the service standards for sure

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FuckSamLeong said:

Look out for the above taxi driver to see whether when queuing at the airport taxi stands, or hotels, he is surfing sammyboy on the Internet with his mini laptop!:p:p:p Just walk close to his window and shout "Besotted" and see him him shit his pants!....hahahahaah.........kekekekeke.......hahahahaahaah

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Eurekas said:

Bapok Besotted is a PAP runnibg dog and traitor.

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besotted said:

I wrote letter to press about liberalising taxi vocational licence but they don't want to publish. Perhaps they also want to protect the market

If want to maintain the privilege, just impose a certain levy on PRs and foreigners and let them have the choice. And if let's say a quota of 4 for 1, or something along those lines

It is a gradual, non-disruptive way of opening up market. I wonder why they don't publish

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besotted said:

IF THIS IS COURT CASE, HOW COME CABBIE NOT NAMED?

JUDGE IS NAMED, WITNESS IS NAMED, HOW COME CONVICT TAXI DRIVER NOT NAMED?




Comfort cabbie was originally fined $100 by the taxi company for rash driving and being rude to a passenger but he took the case to court and found himself $1,400 poorer.

Passenger Meng Xinyi (translation) – an investment analyst – got the ride of her life for 16 minutes in the taxi, causing her to panic. She felt nauseous and got a throbbing headache that lasted four hours – needing medical attention.

When Meng Xinyi got off the cab and asked for a receipt – the taxi driver threw it at her and screamed at her.

District Court Judge Salina found taxi driver guilty of two counts of breaking traffic rules and fined him $700 each. The driver didn’t signal when changing lanes and applied brakes indiscriminately.

Comfort has terminated the services of the taxi driver.


http://www.zaobao.com/sp/sp090626_023.shtml


.

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Papsmearer said:

AT LAST!! There is a lousier newspaper in Sinkieland than the Shit Times. There are many questions here that are not answered. Firstly, if comfort fined u $100, why do u take the case to court? Why do the courts even entertain these sort of cases? They got too much time on their hands? The $100 fine is an internal matter between the employer and the employee. It happens in 1,000s fo companies. If violate a policy of your company, its not unsual to get suspended, dismissal, or fined. If the employee is not happy, than he should lodge complain with MOM. I am curious how it ended up at the court from an internal company punishment.

Someone should tell this Judge Salina bitch that applying brakes indiscrimately is not a crime. Its just bad driving. If the taxi driver is changing lanes without signalling, only a TP can catch him at this. All other witnesses are considered unreliable and suspect, especially if they are passengers in the car. Also if this passenger was nauseous and needed medical attention, surely, there will be a record of this medical attention. Was it produced as evidence during the hearing?

Basically, its a case of one person's word versus another. Many times before, the court system in S'pore works like this. They will take the word of the more educated, better earning person as truth, and the lower educated is the loser. The court should not be hearing this as the bruden of proof here is non existent.

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I agree with you. The courts meddle in things not in their purview or jurisdiction. This judge should be sent for more training.

As long as the uneducated and lowly can be bullied, who gives a damn. Fining the taxi driver is an easy way out. Some more create revenue for the gahmen.

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besotted said:

IF THIS IS COURT CASE, HOW COME CABBIE NOT NAMED?

JUDGE IS NAMED, WITNESS IS NAMED, HOW COME CONVICT TAXI DRIVER NOT NAMED?




Comfort cabbie was originally fined $100 by the taxi company for rash driving and being rude to a passenger but he took the case to court and found himself $1,400 poorer.

Passenger Meng Xinyi (translation) – an investment analyst – got the ride of her life for 16 minutes in the taxi, causing her to panic. She felt nauseous and got a throbbing headache that lasted four hours – needing medical attention.

When Meng Xinyi got off the cab and asked for a receipt – the taxi driver threw it at her and screamed at her.

District Court Judge Salina found taxi driver guilty of two counts of breaking traffic rules and fined him $700 each. The driver didn’t signal when changing lanes and applied brakes indiscriminately.

Comfort has terminated the services of the taxi driver.


http://www.zaobao.com/sp/sp090626_023.shtml

德士司机原本因鲁莽驾驶和对乘客无礼，在调查后被令缴付100元罚款销案了事，但他却执意抗辩，结果反而被罚1400元。

搭上一辆马赛地德士，孟欣仪（投资分析员）大概没有想到那短短的16分钟路程，让她心惊胆战，下车后近四个小时仍然感到头昏脑胀和恶心，必须看医生。

孟欣仪过后向当局投诉，而驾驶这辆马赛地德士的司机因为鲁莽驾驶和对乘客无礼，在调查后被令缴付100元罚款销案了事，但他却执意抗辩，结果反而被罚1400元。

初庭法官莎莉娜（Salina）日前发表判词，阐述她判司机两项触犯公路交通法令罪名成立和各项罚款700元的理由。

　　根据判词，孟欣仪供称司机驾驶鲁莽，不仅不亮讯号灯就转换车道，还在车辆之间穿梭，又突然紧急刹车。

当天早上林越志（银行高级职员）先下车，孟欣仪指司机过后突然大声问她要去哪里。在接下来的车程，司机的态度和行为变得更恶劣，德士还几乎与另一辆车子相撞。

孟欣仪声称她全程担惊受怕，下车时向司机索取收据，并表明她会向德士公司投诉。对方被指把收据丢给孟欣仪，在她下车时还对着她叫嚷。约四个小时后，孟欣仪去看医生，申诉她头晕和要呕吐.

Click to expand...

besotted said:

http://www.zaobao.com/sp/sp090626_023.shtml

德士司机原本因鲁莽驾驶和对乘客无礼，在调查后被令缴付100元罚款销案了事，但他却执意抗辩，结果反而被罚1400元。

搭上一辆马赛地德士，孟欣仪（投资分析员）大概没有想到那短短的16分钟路程，让她心惊胆战，下车后近四个小时仍然感到头昏脑胀和恶心，必须看医生。

孟欣仪过后向当局投诉，而驾驶这辆马赛地德士的司机因为鲁莽驾驶和对乘客无礼，在调查后被令缴付100元罚款销案了事，但他却执意抗辩，结果反而被罚1400元。

初庭法官莎莉娜（Salina）日前发表判词，阐述她判司机两项触犯公路交通法令罪名成立和各项罚款700元的理由。

　　根据判词，孟欣仪供称司机驾驶鲁莽，不仅不亮讯号灯就转换车道，还在车辆之间穿梭，又突然紧急刹车。

当天早上林越志（银行高级职员）先下车，孟欣仪指司机过后突然大声问她要去哪里。在接下来的车程，司机的态度和行为变得更恶劣，德士还几乎与另一辆车子相撞。

孟欣仪声称她全程担惊受怕，下车时向司机索取收据，并表明她会向德士公司投诉。对方被指把收据丢给孟欣仪，在她下车时还对着她叫嚷。约四个小时后，孟欣仪去看医生，申诉她头晕和要呕吐.

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