Taximan's Story

by Catherine Lim "Little Ironies" - Stories Of Singapore

Take me to National University of Singapore, please make it fast coz got a meeting to
attend and I need to be there on time. Very good, Madam. Sure, I will take you there. In plenty
good time for your meeting, Madam. This way better, less traffic, less car jams. Half hour should
make it, Madam, so not to worry. Have you been taxi man for a long time? What did you say,
Madam? I said have you been taxi man for a long time? Ha, ha, Yes, yes, I've been taxi man for
20 years now, Madam. A long time ago, Singapore not like this-so crowded, so busy. Last time,
more peaceful, not so much taxi men or so much cars and buses. Oh, you must been working
so hard! Yes Madam, I can make a living. So, so. What do? I must work hard if wants to success
in Singapore. People like us, no read, no write, we must sweat to eam money for wife and
children.

Do you have a big family? Yes, Madam, quite big family-eight children, six sons, and two
daughters. Big family! Haha! No good, Madam. In those days where got Family Planning in
Singapore? People born many, many children, every year, one child is no good at all. Two
children, three children, enough, stop. Our government say stop! Lucky for me, all my children
big now. Four of my sons working-one A businessman, two clerks, a teacher in Primary School,
one in National Service one still schooling. My eldest daughter, she is

twenty plus, stay at home, help the mother.

Is your daughter already married? No, not married yet - very shy, and her health not so
good, but a good, obedient girl. My other girl-Oh, Madam! Very hard for father when daughter is
no good and go against her parents. Very sad like punishment from God.

Today, young people not like us when we are young. We obey. Our parents say don't do
this, we never do. Otherwise, the cane. My father cane me, I was big enough to be married, and
still got caning. My father he was very strict, and that is good thing for parents to be strict. If not,
young boys and girls become very useless. Do not want to study, but run to be strict. If not,
young boys and girls become very useless. Do not want to study, but run away, and go to night
clubs and take drugs and make love. You agree with me, Madam?

Yes! I absolutely agree with you. Today, young people they are very trouble to their
parents. Madam, you see this young girl over there, outside the coffee house? See what I mean,
Madam? Yes. They are only schoolboys and schoolgirls, but they act as big shots, spending
money, smoking, wearing latest fashion, and making love. Yes, that's true. Even though you're
just a taxi man you are aware about the behavior of the teenagers today. Ah, madam, I know! I
know! As taxi man, know them and their habits.

Madam, you are a teacher, you say? Yes You know or not that young schoolgirls, fifteen,
sixteen year old, they go to school in the morning in their uniforms and then afterschool, they
don't go home, they have clothes in their schoolbag, and they go to public lavatory or hotel and
change into these clothes, and they put make-up on their face. Their parents never know. They
tell their Mom go school meeting, got sports and games, this, that, but they really come out and
play the fool..

Ah, Madam, I see you surprise but I know, know all their tricks a lot As I take them in my
taxi. They usual is wait in bowling alley or coffee house or hotel, and they walk up, and friend,
the European and American tourists, and this is how they make fun and also extra money.
Madam, you believe or not when I tell you how much money they got? I say! Last night, Madam,
this young girl, very pretty and make-up and wear sexy dress. She told me take her to orchid
mansions--this place famous, Madam, fourth floor flat--and she open her purse to pay me, and I
say! All American notes--ten dollar notes all, and she pull one out and say keep change! As she
has no time already

Madam, I tell you this, every month, got more money from these young girls and their
American and European boyfriends in my taxi, more than get from other people who bargain
and say dont want go by meter and wait even for ten cents change. Phuil!Some of them really
make me mad. But these young girls and their boyfriends dont bargain, they just pay, pay, and
they make love in taxi so much they dont know if you go round and round and charge them by
meter!

I tell you, Madam, some of them don't care how much they spend on taxi. It is like this:
after 1 a.m. taxi fare double, and I prefer working this time, because naturally, much more
money. I go and wait outside Elroy Hotel or Tung Court or Orchid Mansions, and such enough,
Madam, will have plenty business. Last Saturday, Madam, no joking, on one day alone make
nearly one hundred and fifty dollars! Some of its for services. Some of tourists dont know where,
so I tell them and take them there, and that's extra money.

You surely know a lot of things. Ah Madam, if I tell you all, no end to the story. But I will
tell you this, Madam. If you have young daughter and she say Mummy I got meeting today in
school and will not come home, you must not say, Yes, yes, but you must go and

ask her where and why and who, and you find out. Today young people not to trust, like young
people in many years ago.

Why are you telling this? Oh, Madam, tell you because myself have a daughter--oh, Madam, a
daughter I love very much, and she is so good and study hard. And see her report cards and
her teacher write 'Good work' and Excellent so on, so on. Oh, Madam, she my favorite child,
and I ask her what she want to be after left school, and she says go to University.
 None of my other children could go to University, but this one, she is very smart and
intelligent--no boasting, Madam--her teachers write Good' and Excellent, and so on, so on, in
her report cards. She study at home, and help the mother, but sometimes a little lazy, and she
say teacher want her to go back to school to do extra work, extra coaching, in her weak subject,
which is math, Madam. So I let her stay back in school and day after day she come home in
evening, then she do her studies and go to sleep. Then one day, oh Madam, it make me so
angry even now- one day, in my taxi driving, driving along and hey! I see a girl looking like my
Lay Choo, with other girls and some Europeans outside a coffee-house but I think, it cannot be
Lay Choo, how can, Lay Choo is in school, and this girl is all dressed up and make-up, and very
bold in her behavior, and this is not like my daughter at all.

Then they go inside the coffee-house, and my heart is very, very--how you describe It,
Madam, My heart is very susah hati and say to myself, I will watch that Lay Choo and see her
monkey tricks. The very next day she is there again I stop my taxi, Madam, and I am so angry. I
rush up to this wicked daughter and I catch her by the shoulders and neck, and slap her and
she scream, but I don't care. Then I drag her to my taxi and drive all the way home, and at home
I thrash the stupid food and I beat her and slap her till like hell. My wife and some neighbors
they pull me away, and think if they not pull me away, I sure to kill that girl.

I lock her up in her room for three days, and I ashamed to tell her teacher, so I just tell
the teacher that Lay Choo is sick, so please to excuse her. Oh, Madam, how you feel in my
place? Make herself so cheap, when her father drive taxi all day to save money for her
University.

Is everything between you and your daughter okay now? What is it, Madam? I said is
everything between you and your daughter okay now? Yes, yes, everything okay now, thank
you. She cannot leave the house except to go to school, and tell her mother always check,
check in everything she do, and her friends--what sort of people they are...

Can you wait for me until my meeting is done? What, Madam? Oh, so sorry, Madam,
cannot wait for you to finish your meeting. Must go off, please to excuse me. In a hurry, Madam.
Must go off to Hotel Elroy-there plenty people to pick up. So very sorry, Madam, and thank you
very much. Oh, that's ok. Here's the payment. Thank you for sharing your story to me.

My youngest daughter have a similar behavior Similar like the other schoolgirls that act
like gangsters Since you're a teacher, did you know something strange about the girls After
school time, they don't really go home but they go to hotels and other places for sure.

If you have a daughter, don't accept her trust. But you only do that when she wants to go
out Just like my naughty daughter who really got caught. For that, I scolded her so loud that
don't even care so I just shout.
 A taxi driver rides with a female teacher passenger. He talks about the changes in
Singapore. He talks about his family. He talks about his observations about youth and
prostitution. He talks about his problem with his daughter. The passenger got off the taxi and the
taxi driver went to Hotel Elory hurriedly.
JUVENILE DELINQUENT

Am I a juvenile delinquent? I'm a teenager. I'm young, young at heart in mind. In this position,
I'm carefree. I enjoy doing nothing but to drink the wine of pleasure. I seldom go to school,
nobody cares!. But instead you can see me roaming around. Standing at the nearby canto
(street). Or else standing beside a jukebox stand playing the nerve tickling boogaloo. Those are
the reasons. why people, you branded me delinquent, a juvenile delinquent.

My parents ignored me, my teachers sneered at me and my friends, they neglected me. One
night I asked my mother to teach me how to appreciate the values in life. Would you care what
she told me? "Stop bothering me! Can't you see? I had to dress up for my mahjong session,
some other time my child". I turned to my father to console me, but, what a wonderful thing he
told me. "Child, here's 500 bucks, get it and enjoy yourself, go and ask your teachers that
question". And in school. I heard nothing but the echoes of the voices of my teachers torturing
me with these words. "Why waste your time in studying, you can't even divide 100 by 5! Go
home and plant sweet potatoes".

I may have the looks of Audrey Hepburn, the calmly voice of Nathalie Cole. But that's not what
you can see in me. Here's a young girl who needs counsel to enlighten her way and guidance to
strengthen her life into contentment.

Honorable judge, friends and teachers...is this the girl whom you commented a juvenile
delinquent?.