Uncle the Taxi Driver has been dealt the D-word and it ain't pretty.
For years Singaporeans have had to bear with our nation's rogue taxi drivers. Ministers and government officials have long known that they are the common subject of grouses from taxi drivers who affectionately refer to them as “gahmen.”
As someone who takes a taxi every single day for work, I have had the entire spectrum of emotions that range from delight in comfort to downright abuse and I’m glad that finally, these unaccountable Robin Hood Uncles have come to justice in the form of disruption. To be clear, I'm not talking about the lovely uncles who suggest nice places to eat, regale me with their Cliff Richard songs or even let me use their phone charger. These taxi drivers should be rewarded and turned into instructors. Today's article is for the bad boys, the gangsters of the taxi world that's about to be disrupted.
Disruption has occurred in virtually every aspect of a working person’s life. My job as a producer has been disrupted by the fact that an itty bitty screen on a phone is what people prefer to watch rather than my beautiful cinematographic masterpieces on TV and the big screen. The only group that seemed to go scott free were some errant taxi drivers, driving when they felt like it, using the "Change Shift" sign as a convenient way to do errands or meet "kaki for kopi" (have coffee) with some choosing to drive as a temporary form of income in between jobs.
Now I actually have family members who drive taxis and I understand what goes into those long hours in a static seated position.However just a quick glance on my Facebook feed reveals countless colourful complaints that I'm really perplexed why Singapore's transport choice for tourists, our first greeting point to Singapore has such terrible levels of customer service.
Increasingly I ask myself, why am I even paying $15 for this so called comfort that comes with these top 11 delights such as:
“Gahmen”, Traffic Police Camera and Radio DJ bashing
Not turning or going in the direction I have asked and belittling me for not knowing my own hometown even though I drive and know the roads.
Shouting locations in their uncle-speak as if I was at fault for pronouncing it correctly. “Tampeeenis” (Tampines) , “Paseeeleee” (Pasir Ris) and “Aiyah the SBC lah/TV Laylio/” (Mediacorp) . This is followed by a barrage of questions about when my company is shifting
Enquiries about my race and why “Keleng-Kia” (racial slur for Indians) got curly hair like me and talk very angmo with a funny "Madingdah" name.
Complaining about cyclists and motorcycles with statements such as "gahmen should ban them from riding!"
Farting and preventing me from opening the window unless I pretend to be having a bad cough and apologise profusely.
Playing music at heavy metal concert decibels.
Complaining about wife/children/taxi operator (oh yes, Comfort, Transcab...they really do drag you in the dirt)
Not taking NETS, CASHCARD or CREDIT CARD despite having a sign on their taxi and a working system with excuses such as “machine spoil”, to which I yank the machine out from in front of him, hit the numbers and IT’S A MIRACLE! It works!
Telling passengers that NETS and CREDIT CARD payment no good and don’t do it when NETS places stickers of advertisements encouraging passengers to take part in their competitions. (NETS...take note)
Asking me to complain to Khaw Boon Wan about Uber.
Well taxi uncles, have I got news for you.I ain't gonna complain. In fact, I like Uber and I'm going to use it even more.
All that grumbling has finally produced an alternative that’s much better than you. This alternative isn’t necessarily cheaper, the drivers are just everyday drivers who are actually able to find locations, uses the same booking app as you like to exploit instead of turning on the green light for people in need of transport.
That’s right, the disruption is here and it's your turn to face what the people who take your taxis are facing at work everyday!
A disruption hits like a ninja in the night, hard and fast and without warning. It’s business as usual for the slow moving incumbents, who often have not faced a real market threat for a while. Out of no where, the incumbents’ business undergoes sudden, cataclysmic collapse.
Disruptive products don’t have to be cheaper. A low-end disruption doesn’t have to be lower priced than existing products. Uber is a great example of a disruptive service that is more convenient, but more expensive than its taxi alternative.
In a rare display of clarity, the Malaysian Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) has urged taxi drivers to focus their efforts into improving their services and image instead of protests Uber or Grab Taxi. Singapore should definitely follow suit. Afterall, if Minister Khaw actually did an undercover boss style sting operation, wearing a wig and fake moustache and asked any taxi driver his opinion of "gahmen" he would have a discotheque of colourful negativity coming at him.
That’s actually the crux of the issue among most taxi customers in Singapore. They are sick of the service they get from taxi-drivers, and they are making a stand by choosing Uber.
The great taxi drivers are being eclipsed by the angry, road ragers with pandan leaves in the bushels and a nasty potty mouth.
Here’s an open call to those who have had great service as well as deplorable service from taxi drivers, to write them in the comments below.
Also, feel free to list some of the ways you feel taxi drivers can improve themselves to match up with Uber? Yoga classes, meditation, counselling sessions, road map familiarity?
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/uncl...word-aint-pretty-mathilda-d-silva?published=u
For years Singaporeans have had to bear with our nation's rogue taxi drivers. Ministers and government officials have long known that they are the common subject of grouses from taxi drivers who affectionately refer to them as “gahmen.”
As someone who takes a taxi every single day for work, I have had the entire spectrum of emotions that range from delight in comfort to downright abuse and I’m glad that finally, these unaccountable Robin Hood Uncles have come to justice in the form of disruption. To be clear, I'm not talking about the lovely uncles who suggest nice places to eat, regale me with their Cliff Richard songs or even let me use their phone charger. These taxi drivers should be rewarded and turned into instructors. Today's article is for the bad boys, the gangsters of the taxi world that's about to be disrupted.
Disruption has occurred in virtually every aspect of a working person’s life. My job as a producer has been disrupted by the fact that an itty bitty screen on a phone is what people prefer to watch rather than my beautiful cinematographic masterpieces on TV and the big screen. The only group that seemed to go scott free were some errant taxi drivers, driving when they felt like it, using the "Change Shift" sign as a convenient way to do errands or meet "kaki for kopi" (have coffee) with some choosing to drive as a temporary form of income in between jobs.
Now I actually have family members who drive taxis and I understand what goes into those long hours in a static seated position.However just a quick glance on my Facebook feed reveals countless colourful complaints that I'm really perplexed why Singapore's transport choice for tourists, our first greeting point to Singapore has such terrible levels of customer service.
Increasingly I ask myself, why am I even paying $15 for this so called comfort that comes with these top 11 delights such as:
“Gahmen”, Traffic Police Camera and Radio DJ bashing
Not turning or going in the direction I have asked and belittling me for not knowing my own hometown even though I drive and know the roads.
Shouting locations in their uncle-speak as if I was at fault for pronouncing it correctly. “Tampeeenis” (Tampines) , “Paseeeleee” (Pasir Ris) and “Aiyah the SBC lah/TV Laylio/” (Mediacorp) . This is followed by a barrage of questions about when my company is shifting
Enquiries about my race and why “Keleng-Kia” (racial slur for Indians) got curly hair like me and talk very angmo with a funny "Madingdah" name.
Complaining about cyclists and motorcycles with statements such as "gahmen should ban them from riding!"
Farting and preventing me from opening the window unless I pretend to be having a bad cough and apologise profusely.
Playing music at heavy metal concert decibels.
Complaining about wife/children/taxi operator (oh yes, Comfort, Transcab...they really do drag you in the dirt)
Not taking NETS, CASHCARD or CREDIT CARD despite having a sign on their taxi and a working system with excuses such as “machine spoil”, to which I yank the machine out from in front of him, hit the numbers and IT’S A MIRACLE! It works!
Telling passengers that NETS and CREDIT CARD payment no good and don’t do it when NETS places stickers of advertisements encouraging passengers to take part in their competitions. (NETS...take note)
Asking me to complain to Khaw Boon Wan about Uber.
Well taxi uncles, have I got news for you.I ain't gonna complain. In fact, I like Uber and I'm going to use it even more.
All that grumbling has finally produced an alternative that’s much better than you. This alternative isn’t necessarily cheaper, the drivers are just everyday drivers who are actually able to find locations, uses the same booking app as you like to exploit instead of turning on the green light for people in need of transport.
That’s right, the disruption is here and it's your turn to face what the people who take your taxis are facing at work everyday!
A disruption hits like a ninja in the night, hard and fast and without warning. It’s business as usual for the slow moving incumbents, who often have not faced a real market threat for a while. Out of no where, the incumbents’ business undergoes sudden, cataclysmic collapse.
Disruptive products don’t have to be cheaper. A low-end disruption doesn’t have to be lower priced than existing products. Uber is a great example of a disruptive service that is more convenient, but more expensive than its taxi alternative.
In a rare display of clarity, the Malaysian Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) has urged taxi drivers to focus their efforts into improving their services and image instead of protests Uber or Grab Taxi. Singapore should definitely follow suit. Afterall, if Minister Khaw actually did an undercover boss style sting operation, wearing a wig and fake moustache and asked any taxi driver his opinion of "gahmen" he would have a discotheque of colourful negativity coming at him.
That’s actually the crux of the issue among most taxi customers in Singapore. They are sick of the service they get from taxi-drivers, and they are making a stand by choosing Uber.
The great taxi drivers are being eclipsed by the angry, road ragers with pandan leaves in the bushels and a nasty potty mouth.
Here’s an open call to those who have had great service as well as deplorable service from taxi drivers, to write them in the comments below.
Also, feel free to list some of the ways you feel taxi drivers can improve themselves to match up with Uber? Yoga classes, meditation, counselling sessions, road map familiarity?
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/uncl...word-aint-pretty-mathilda-d-silva?published=u
