The "Darth" Side

One colleague at work was complaining about the cab she sat in this morning. “That was the worst ride of my life,” she said. According to L*n*a, if she was the RTD officer, she could have issued this guy multiple summons on the spot. Firstly, the cabbie didn’t bother to use the meter even though she demanded upon it. Secondly, he didn’t display his ID card in the cab. Thirdly, and probably the most yucky thing of all, his cab was disgustingly loathsome. There were times during the ride when she had to hold her breath, for the fear that she may throw up there and then. Ewwweeewwww….how I don’t want to imagine it here!!

I asked if she had taken down the id**t’s cab number. L*n*a said, “He sped off so fast. I didn’t even get one last look.” You poor girl, one of those bad days huh?? But it’s not only L*n*a who has a story to tell. Others could vouch having bad cab stories of their own as well.

If one were to compile the many “interesting” (read : horrible) stories of KL cabs, this one would probably be an insignificant entry. Perhaps it’s nothing compared to the dare devils who speed like mad on the highways, those who do hit and run of motorbikes and pedestrians, those who cut cues and those who are drunk while driving (yesss….ader!!).

Whenever complains are brought forward, the finger pointing will start. The cabbies will say it’s the government who is at fault. Their deals as cabbies are mere pittance. Thus, pushing them to the edge, far beyond the normal man’s sheer endurance. Coupled with the stressful driving conditions in the city, it is no surprise the widest of beastly qualities within them emanate.

The authorities on the other hand say that they will kaji and kaji the situation. Cabbies do hit and run, they’d kaji. Cabbies overcharge they’d kaji (or it is gali?). Cabbies are rude, they’d kaji. For heavens sake, have the guts to pull their license, if they are not up to mark.

In order to get the whole system into shape, the authorities say that they have to go see what others do else where in the world. All right lah we say, off you go do your study trips. We put our trust in them to go get more ideas, share technologies, “cut, copy or paste” whatever is good. However, upon spending public money, upon having fun watching the belly dancing and the many other what-have-you’s, they still don’t have a report to put to us. No action plans, not follow ups, nothing and they expect us to understand their lackadaisical attitudes.

In the end, when they want to put matters to rest, they’d say they need more time as the earlier study was non conclusive. Moment of truth, no jawapan!!!! Urgghh, so sakit hati and how not to?

How to be world class if our own backyard is messy? How to lure tourist to the nth million if the mode of transport doesn’t even appeal to us, the locals. We could be showering Datukships from the sky, under the pretext of tourism to every (James) Bond, (Jackie) Chans and not forgetting the recent Khan ( fuhh there are so many of them we could be bestowing Datukships to, from the kuch kuch lead role to Genghis, to Kublai to Aurangzeb to even Chaka Khan perhaps??). Big joke, it will not happen this world class, “glokal” thingy!!

At times when the Darth side of me, overshadows my typical Melayu - ever so forgiving, ever so “tak pa” attitude, I’d love to see what would happen if we adopt Mr Trump’s practice in the Boardroom. Given a responsibility, fail to deliver, face the music - “You are fired”.