I've wanted to blog about this for a long time but kinda held back. But over the last few days, I had a few unpleasant experiences which 'motivated' me to blog now.
This week alone, I've encountered 3 types of drivers which really get on my nerve.
1. The know-it-all
I had this driver who was bringing me to Temasek Poly. We weren't sure where the lecture theatre was, so I asked him to ask the guards. This fella just REFUSED to ask anyone. He kpet saying 'Aiya, I know lar, it's around here lar...' and come on... Temasek Poly is a huge poly. Worse still, he started following another taxi coz he said that taxi was going the same place I was going!!! And he didn't even ask the other driver or anything. I was so irritated coz he was so adamant about following the other driver when he didn't noe where the other driver was going. Through it all, he was laughing and joking as the meter jumped and jumped. ARGH. Finally, on my insistence, he asked a guard who showed us which way to turn, which happened to be on the OTHER side of the campus. Sigh.
2. The talker
I'm not an unfrenly guy. But oftentimes, when I am in a cab, I just want to rest/play my psp/read my magazine. I don't mind chatting with the driver some times, but if I don't want to, I wish the driver would get the hint and stop. I think sticking two earphones into my ears is quiet a clear indication. Anyway, yesterday, I had this driver who was so interested in my media player. Here was I trying to watch a programme on my media player and there he was, asking me question after question about the media player... 'what is that', 'what does it do', 'where did you get the programme', 'do you need a computer to make it work', etc, etc ,etc. Of course, there are other drivers who try to engage you in the all kinds of topics. And they pry into all areas... 'what do you do', 'why are you not in office', why are you going here', 'when did you leave NS', 'how old are you', etc, etc, etc. SIGH. These are really irritating.
3. The stinker
This is probably the worse kind. There are a select few taxi-drivers who really, seriously have a body odour problem. I dunno if the cab companies give personal grooming courses to these drivers, but sometimes, when I step into a cab, I get totally overwhelmed by the stale scent of the driver's BO. The worst thing is... I can't get out! Because, before I can even react, I would have already closed the door. It doesn't help that Singapore is a warm and humid place and we are undergoing our warmest period of the year right now. Today, I had just such an experience. I was waiting for a cab for almost 20mins and was so glad when I saw an empty cab coming in my direction. I was thinking 'Finally... Some luck!'. But when I slipped into the cab... Oh-My-Goodness.... there was this wave of odour which just invaded my nostrils. So for the next 20mins or so, I had to just pretend that everything was ok and try to take real shallow breaths.
So there you have it... Taxi-drivers which drive me up the wall.
Showing posts with label Irritations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Irritations. Show all posts
Monday, July 09, 2007
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Irritations - Justifying Ministers' Pay Increase
Actually I had another irritation which I'd wanted to blog about for a while but I decided to leave that for another day and do this one since it's the hot topic right now in good ole SG.
Personally, I have no qualms about the need to pay for good people. I mean, after all, we are supposed to be a meritocratic society right? So basically, if you are an excellent worker, you deserve to be paid more based upon your merit. The thing that irritates me through the whole scenario is how the Ministers are the ones who are trying to justify their pay increase. Heh. It's like I'm the paymaster, and now I'm the one who wants to propose to myself that I want a pay increase. Cheez.
Go to almost any worker and ask if he/she is being paid enough for what they are doing and if they would like a pay increase. I'm pretty sure most, if not all, will say they deserve/want more money. Now, do you think their bosses will say 'Sure! You certainly deserve as much as your friend is being paid in ABC company. Since you suggested it, you'll get it!'. I don't think so. Do you think there will ever be a case where you ask the person if he/she is being paid enough and the reply is 'Oh no... I think I'm overpaid. Please pay me less!'.
So in a similar way, you have these ministers trying so hard to justify why they should get a pay increase. I mean, come on lar, will they ever come out and say that they are being paid too much? And i guess that's whats irritating me. I mean, if you're gonna implement a pay increase, give it an explanation (not a long drawn publicity blah) and do it lar.
The interesting question is, who can say no?
If the paymasters are the one implementing their own pay increase, they obviously won't say no to themselves. So... who says no? Of course, in the bigger picture, the citizens are the ones who 'employ' the ministers. So I guess, the only way we can ever say no is through the next elections. Since that is a couple of years away... our ministers would have pretty decent savings after the pay increases are implemented before the next elections.
Anyway, like I said, I'm not exactly against the pay increase. I admit I haven't thought much abou the ramnifications of the whole thing. The thing that irritates me is all the justifications being made right now. Yawn.
Personally, I have no qualms about the need to pay for good people. I mean, after all, we are supposed to be a meritocratic society right? So basically, if you are an excellent worker, you deserve to be paid more based upon your merit. The thing that irritates me through the whole scenario is how the Ministers are the ones who are trying to justify their pay increase. Heh. It's like I'm the paymaster, and now I'm the one who wants to propose to myself that I want a pay increase. Cheez.
Go to almost any worker and ask if he/she is being paid enough for what they are doing and if they would like a pay increase. I'm pretty sure most, if not all, will say they deserve/want more money. Now, do you think their bosses will say 'Sure! You certainly deserve as much as your friend is being paid in ABC company. Since you suggested it, you'll get it!'. I don't think so. Do you think there will ever be a case where you ask the person if he/she is being paid enough and the reply is 'Oh no... I think I'm overpaid. Please pay me less!'.
So in a similar way, you have these ministers trying so hard to justify why they should get a pay increase. I mean, come on lar, will they ever come out and say that they are being paid too much? And i guess that's whats irritating me. I mean, if you're gonna implement a pay increase, give it an explanation (not a long drawn publicity blah) and do it lar.
The interesting question is, who can say no?
If the paymasters are the one implementing their own pay increase, they obviously won't say no to themselves. So... who says no? Of course, in the bigger picture, the citizens are the ones who 'employ' the ministers. So I guess, the only way we can ever say no is through the next elections. Since that is a couple of years away... our ministers would have pretty decent savings after the pay increases are implemented before the next elections.
Anyway, like I said, I'm not exactly against the pay increase. I admit I haven't thought much abou the ramnifications of the whole thing. The thing that irritates me is all the justifications being made right now. Yawn.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Irritations - Cinema Queuers
I've decided to start a little series on things that irritate me. Maybe this will be the one and only entry on this but maybe I might build a whole long list of rants. Please feel free to enter comments on the things that I find irritating. You can add to the list of course!
My first post on this topic: Cinema Queuers.
I hate it when I go and buy tickets and the queue is super long. What makes it worse are some cinema queuers which make the hell even worse than it needs to be.
The first kind are the groups of teenagers. Ok, let me clarify that I am not against all teenagers. It's just that more often than not, you have these groups that join the queue together. Yep, that's like 6 to 20 people queueing in the same line. I mean, I know about solidarity and all that, but can't you like send one person to buy the ticket?? When they get to the counter and purchase their tickets, that's where the next two possible irritations come. (1) no more tickets for the show. The group then holds a pow-wow right in front of the counter and start discussing what shows they want to watch. And this can go on forever while all the other people in the queue wait for them to make up their mind. (2) They buy the tickets for the show then they start taking out their money one by one by one to pay for the tickets!! I mean, can't you like collect the money before hand? Again, I know this isn't true for ALL groups of teenagers, but I have observed many who fall in this irritating category.
The second kind are usually the girlfriend/boyfriend type. These are the ones that queue to the front then start getting each other's consensus before they buy the tickets. You know, the type that ask, 'so how? you want to watch or not?' or 'what do you think about these seats?', etc, etc, ad nauseum. I implore the male or the female or whoever wears the pants, DECIDE already! Buying a ticket is not like applying for a flat. It's just a movie.
The third kind are the family with small children. I have nothing against them but I have everything against parents who (1) don't control them and let them run amok in the queue, screaming and bumping into other people and (2) have to treat buying tickets like an educational lesson for the kid. You know, like asking the kid to pay for the ticket, asking him to check the money, etc etc. Look, if the queue is short and you want to spend time like this, fine. But when you have like a whole long queue of people waiting to buy tickets, I think the civil thing for you to do is to finish the transaction as quickly as you can.
So there you have it, my first post about things that irritate me. Any comments? Who irritates you in the cinema queues?
My first post on this topic: Cinema Queuers.
I hate it when I go and buy tickets and the queue is super long. What makes it worse are some cinema queuers which make the hell even worse than it needs to be.
The first kind are the groups of teenagers. Ok, let me clarify that I am not against all teenagers. It's just that more often than not, you have these groups that join the queue together. Yep, that's like 6 to 20 people queueing in the same line. I mean, I know about solidarity and all that, but can't you like send one person to buy the ticket?? When they get to the counter and purchase their tickets, that's where the next two possible irritations come. (1) no more tickets for the show. The group then holds a pow-wow right in front of the counter and start discussing what shows they want to watch. And this can go on forever while all the other people in the queue wait for them to make up their mind. (2) They buy the tickets for the show then they start taking out their money one by one by one to pay for the tickets!! I mean, can't you like collect the money before hand? Again, I know this isn't true for ALL groups of teenagers, but I have observed many who fall in this irritating category.
The second kind are usually the girlfriend/boyfriend type. These are the ones that queue to the front then start getting each other's consensus before they buy the tickets. You know, the type that ask, 'so how? you want to watch or not?' or 'what do you think about these seats?', etc, etc, ad nauseum. I implore the male or the female or whoever wears the pants, DECIDE already! Buying a ticket is not like applying for a flat. It's just a movie.
The third kind are the family with small children. I have nothing against them but I have everything against parents who (1) don't control them and let them run amok in the queue, screaming and bumping into other people and (2) have to treat buying tickets like an educational lesson for the kid. You know, like asking the kid to pay for the ticket, asking him to check the money, etc etc. Look, if the queue is short and you want to spend time like this, fine. But when you have like a whole long queue of people waiting to buy tickets, I think the civil thing for you to do is to finish the transaction as quickly as you can.
So there you have it, my first post about things that irritate me. Any comments? Who irritates you in the cinema queues?
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