Traffic Jams

Ain’t you in it everyday? (Sorry to those Bosses who goes to work after 10am and left for the after lunch gatherings at 3pm)

Sometimes, its simply faster to travel by MRT, despite its super Human Jam by itself. However, not every destination is right beside the MRT. To spend another short trip from that MRT in a jam itself can be irksome.

What causes that? Non-forceful implementation of COE? Ain’t COE supposed to restrict the number of cars? Has it became just a tool to collect money for the government merely? Come on, reduce the number of COE awarded to say 20 per categories for the next 2 years should be good.

Wait…. Which means less car to get taxed, or zapped by the ERP Gantry? Hmm… Epic failure.

If you ask me, build plenty of parking facilities. Remove COE. Ensure low carbon emission by engines. TAX drivers by Mileage. Period.

Either you are part of the solution (stashed in the car-parks) or part of the problems which contributes to the solution! (Get Taxed for using the road to build the shelter)

 

What do you think?

Dull-ness

"Where in the world have you been hiding? Really you are perfect..."

Dull life. Can music relive you?

Do you get to experience when you are out having coffee with a friend, and his mobile rings and he following on to chat and you actually have time to log on and blog on your mobile phone?

Actually having coffee and idle away 3 hours having 5 cups of drinks.

Oh well. Friday evening. Is this most Singaporeans unwind themselves on the start of weekends?

Looking around me, at the many others who are doing exactly the same things.

Sometimes, you just have to concur.

Haloween

It is the time of the year again! When you can supposedly wear like witches and troll, going around to extort for sweets.

I have NEVER in my life, ever, celebrated haloween.

Always wanted to do that. In any form of another. Some choses to do the conventional. Some have a party in the local pubs.

Difficult right.

Anyway, it also happens (always) furthest from my Payday. HAHA.

Of Benz Cabbie & Bookings as such

First, a little confession of guilt.

I called for a cab. Waiting for more then the promised 5-7 mins, it has not arrived yet. Suddenly, an empty came along. What do you do? Of course get on the cab. After which, I called to cancel the booking.

Well, donno how the original cab-drive who took the call will think.

Today I am in a rush. Normally, 49/50 times, I will actually stay for the cab which I have booked even though there happens to be empty cabs around.

Do you know that there are some forums which are for cabbies? I once visited those forums and the benz (mercedes) cabbie damned yayapapaya. They are like boasting how they played their customers. Like how those ppl who advanced booked their cab. If they are late for like 5 min, they can then press the 'no show' button and leave -- Meaning SABO the customer. Then some still say when the customer call again, how they would then bid again, and then the customer still have to take back their cab.

I would say super bo-liao loor.

I personally experienced years ago, those benz taxi touting tourist who just came out of their flight and get on their limosine cab. If cameras / video phones are as popular now, they will get it from me man. Just film and then STOMP them!

Mocha

Haha! Who is not talking about the Mocha advertisment regarding the muscle man? Hands up!

Well, at least its quite corny.

Am I supposed to link it to the all'so-famous Steven Lim? Yes, he's able to make a name for himself alright. The lame and crappy guy. (Steven, if you wanna flame me, by all means go ahead)

Personally, I DO NOT like him ever since he started to offer to pluck eyebrows at Orchard eons years ago. Gosh, she's like scaring ppl away. (Including my gf)

Wondered how he will be like say 10 years from now?

Only time will tell.

Customer Service

Yak yak yak! it's back to crap-ing.

Was quite a delight to go for the NOKIA Business Showcase 2007 earlier in the day.

Here, we got to see the company's direction, of course with the pressing out of the latest phone. (For now, its E51). Digressing a little, it is more hardy then I expected from the photos. But it being too similar with the E90 communicator which I am holding currently, thus I don't think it will be my dress phone.

Anyway, it seemed like NOKIA is being quite optimistic in their sales and forecast. However, seemed like the Technical (After-sales) part has not been keeping up with its Sales / Advertisment counterpart.

Come on, who really dares to land his / her phone into the technicians at the NOKIA care center. It is currently just like a gambling game. All they will tell you is that your phone will be together with them for a few weeks. And there are not even replacement phones. Yes, not even premium phones customers. Crap.

When you get the phones back from servicing, it seemed that they have only done an 1 hour job although it has been retained for a few weeks.

Perhaps sometimes it can already be a blessing that it is not in a worse state then before.

How much can a company emphasize in after sales service? If you were to ask me, I would say... Everything. Sometimes, I would choose a vendor even if they are more expensive. But I know that they will be providing me with exceptional after sales service. It can be a extra cost to companies but I think it can be the most important investment. When there is one more customer loyalty, it simply means one more market share. It's a double effect. One more up for you, and one down for the competitor.

Such long time

Gosh, it has been around 30 months since I last update.

I have already changed to a new lappie for 7 mths already. Shall bring it along to start blogging again.

Nite all.

Archived

Hiya, just settled with my laptop. Now posting whatever I've blogged back then.

Wednesday, March 23, 2005

8:46 AM

On the stupidly long way to work...

Missed a 154 bus on the attempt to skip the single-decked cruiser that always comes along whenever I am at the bus-stop. In the end, after enduring the hazy and humid morning, ANOTHER single-decked dwarf comes trotting along.

The morning ride via buses (3 different ones), will take me a good 100 minutes to reach my workplace! *sigh*

Let’s review on the bus services in Singapore.

SBS (The former self), started in 1978. Think that the main HQ was in Toa Payoh back then. Along the ever-jamming braddell road I would say. I used to stay in Toa Payoh when I am a kid. Interestingly, I had (ever) thought of becoming a bus captain when I am really young.

Now, bus captain! What a nice name. Do you think the Bus Captain gets paid well? Or do you think that the cab drivers actually have more income. Oh well, at least the cab uncle can chat with the customer up close and personal without others eavesdropping. And my, Xiaxue really hates Cab drivers ya. Well, that shall be our next topic for discussion, less I digress on.

Ok, back to the topic.

Now, the SBSTransit?

I would not have known that the MRT service line is owned by two different companies till I went on to check up the route services the other day. The North-South ad East West line is owned by the usual SMRT, whilst the latest North-East line is actually owned and run by the SBSTransit! Whoa, guessed not a lot of you people would have noticed that.

Have you ever encountered those kinda Bus Captains who simply wants to cruise on when they passed by a bus-stop as you know, when you break to a halt to fetch passengers, it gets quite difficult to accelerate again. So, they will try to ‘close one eye’ especially passing by those secluded stops. But should you really wave your hands frantically, then they bo-bian have to step on the brake hard and bring the cruising bus to a screeching halt. Now, everyone in the bus would be thinking that the one who flagged down that bus is really inconsiderate. Heh. When you managed to stop the Inconsiderate Bus Captain who just wants to cruise on, you will be blamed by the passengers for giving them a roller-coaster ride. No matter how it came out to be, you lose.

How about those times when you can’t get up the bus? Simply because that everyone would be having the getting-off-the-next-stop concept and would not move to the rear but clustered around the exit. Hey! That’s half the bus standing capacity gone! Singaporeans….

Ok, till later, I am reaching the Interchange le...

Thursday, March 24, 2005

8:34 AM

Oh great, another cab to work. This is the second time that I am doing this, this month.

Last time it costs me $17 with peak hour surcharge, let’s see how much it is today. (I am still in the cab typing this.

Oh well, might as well, take about the Cab industries.

- Interlude -

The news just mentioned that the ‘an an’ eggs have be produced illegally and because of that may cause cancer after prolonged consumption. Think that the major stores in Singapore actually caries them. Oh Well…. I loved eggs… Oh my…

Ok, back to the topic.

Luckily today got a cab with not such a talkative uncle. The journey till now is still very smooth sailing.

So the debate starts again once more. Do you think that the cab drivers got more then the bus drivers?

Oh well, I guessed that you can see the cab industry as ‘private sector’ in comparison to the ‘government sector’ of the bus industry. As a bus captain, you got fixed salary and bonuses. As cab drivers, you get what you (tried) to earn.

Of course, there may always be some shortcuts to that.

I am not in the industry so what I can say now are just my personal speculations with no basic for evidence and is only mentioned for discussion sake.

Let’s just begin from how cab drivers gets and can get their money.

Of course, the standard ones will be plowing thru the traffic, fighting for customers. It is always funny that the passengers always complained that there are not enough cabs, whilst the cab drivers complained that there are no customers!

Why is that so?

Simply because the cab drivers are doing things for their own convenience but disregarding the commuters. Example, they ALWAYS changes shift at 7:10. That is the ‘holy’ time for the students to get to school. Why does a student take a cab to school instead of taking a bus? Because they are LATE. And why are they late? Cos they cannot wake up in time or whatever reasons, but it’s because its 7:10, that’s why they are late. Earlier means they are not running late means no need to take cab.

Now when they need the cab, the cab drivers are changing shifts.

(To be continued as I have reached)

Friday, March 25, 2005

10:27 AM

*Yawns*

Just woke up.

Where were we yesterday? Oh yeah, the cab drivers.