We live in a harsh world.
I finished my shift and parked my taxi at the usual place and walked to the market to get some breakfast.
Today, I am planning to buy fried bee hoon and sunny side up egg together with a nutritious hot soya bean drink. It usually cost $0.80 for fried bee hoon, $0.50 for sunny side up egg and $0.90 for my cup of soya bean drink. All in all, it would cost me a total of $2.20.
But today, much to my surprise, the lady boss told me that new price for fried bee hoon is $1.00, sunny side up is $0.60. I paid $1.60 and went to buy soya bean drink. I gave the boss $1.00 and waited for $0.10 change and the boss apologized and told me soya bean drink is now $1.00. Now, my breakfast cost me $2.60, up from $2.20. This increase is 18%.
I finished my breakfast and decided to walk around the market to check out other stores and realize that the price hike had quietly crept upon us and is happening everywhere now. Chicken rice used to be $3.00 is $3.50 now. Woon Ton Noodles was $3.00/4.00/5.00, now $4.00/5.00/6.00. Mee Siam was $3.00, now $3.50.
Looking back, TDs are poor thing. A trip that used to be $20, now, under JustCrap or VberFlush, could be as low as $10 and that’s even before 10% commission….. Even if you took and accepted the job, for some reason, if the boleh land company thinks you are guilty, they can suspend your account and hold your hard earned fare as hostage. And to make the situation even more gloomy, there are many ex-TDs who rallied behind these unethical companies thinking they could benefit from these companies.
I had a coffee session with a Limo TD and he told me if we TDs don’t support these unethical companies, these companies would not be so cocky and would treat TDs with more respect. I had done a lot of soul searching and realized that no matter how little my individual effect is, I would do my part and distance myself from these unethical companies. Not to accept their jobs and to offer my best service to street hail pax and pax who still book our taxi through taxi company so we would retain and keep these pax. No how small my effort is, I believe if all TDs can do their part, our effort would cause a ripple effect which would reverse the table and one day chase these unethical companies back to their boleh kumpongs!!
Source: FB post by  Paul Chua