Today I took a cab down to Tampines Street 81. The cab driver asked me how I wanted to go there. I said "Take the TPE please." Then I suddenly noticed that he turned away from the TPE. My instant thought was that he was trying to cheat me. He then made one big round and went back to the TPE. I asked him why he made he big detour. He said that it was his fifth day on the job thus he wasn't familiar with the routes. He claimed that he was following the signs to TPE. Unsatisfied with his excuse, I grumbled that he had cost me 70cents and around 3 minutes.
When we reached Tampines, he asked me how to get there. I told him that i didn't know my way about Tampines. So he took out his street directory and after a glance at it, he shut it and said it was very near. I had already been there 5 times and was surprised that it was very near the TPE exit. After 10 minutes if driving around, he consulted the book again. This time I heard him mummer something about street 11. I reminded him of my destination and he said he knew. After that he drove me around until I noticed him turning into a road where a sign "Tampines East CC" was pointing. Since I was going to Tampines West CC, I told him "I think you are going the wrong way." He stopped at the side of the road and consulted his street directory once again. And again I heard him mummer "Tampines Street 11..."!
I was very irritated already and reminded him where I wanted to go. I pointed out our location on the directory and where street 81 was. I even told him how to go there. I thought that was the end of my troubles. But I was wrong. When we got to Avenue 4, I asked him to keep right because he'll have to turn into Avenue 3, on the right. However, he did not listen and after I found that he went straight, I asked him why he did that. He said that we had already reached and pointed to street signed saying 'Street 91'...
I was very irritated and asked him to U-turn. He drove a bit to find somewhere where he could U-turn and after that I directed him all the way. Finally, when I reached my destination, he fare had came to $14.10. The cabbie told me to just pay him $10.00. I told him that my usual fare comes only to $7.30. He cabbie said that we could pay him any amount we wanted and he apologised and thanked us for being so patient with us. I paid him $7.30.
During my ride there I thought he was trying to con me thus I had took down his license plate number. I couldn't take down his name as I was seated in the back seat. However, while going there, when he realized that he was at the wrong place, I noticed that he was trembling. I decided not to lounge a complain. Poor guy. Poor me. Anyways luckily for me I had left early and thus was not late.
