Beijing ERP

With just a simple announcement, Beijing has put in place a traffic control system.

What is that?
Odd-numbered-plated vehicles can be driven on odd days of the week and only even-numbered-plated vehicles on even days.

Sundays how? All hell breaks loose as usual. :)

Of course the devil is in the details for any scheme.

But on the immediate surface of the idea, Beijing still has a system without massive investment of ERP gantries, in-vehicle units and cash card problems.

Have you seen the new T3?

We accidentally dropped in new T3 of Changi International Airport over the weekend.

This is what we saw. Check it out. They are WOWs!

Level 3 - many restaurants and coffee hangouts
Level 2 - departures
Level 1 - arrivals
B1 - NTUC Fairprice and hawker centre

smsed an old friend

i like the art

When you check in on an old friend whom you have not talked to or seen for quite some time by sms, what are the usual responses that you may get?

"the same old shit...", "the usual... ", "still surviving.. in this crap life" etc etc along these lines.

But when I sent a sms to a friend who is still flying with SQ after more than 10 years, this is what I got from her.

"Hi! Long time no hear from you! Thanks for the sms! All is well, I hope? I'm in Zurich right now, with the cows in the alps :o) Take care!"

Moral of the Story
We need to get a life. Well... the cows at the Alps are so blessed to have her around. For the many of us in Singapore, there is nothing exciting we can say about we are doing this weekend. As I have told many friends of mine, if I can press "RESTART" on my working life, I would have taken a job that would allow me to fly even more. (actually I got to fly about in my early working years) Be'cos once you grow older, other priorities will take precedence.

Why the need to travel? We need to have a BIGGER perspective of life.

ode to Gantries

To the rest of the World, this is our famous ERP gantry.

It is said that each gantry costs $1.5mio to build. With ST's new IVU, will it mean ERP charges would be lower? Don't think our pockets would be better off but LTA's efficiency would improve.

How do I feel about the inner city gantries ie. ERP within ERP?
Somehow feel like East Berlin and West Berlin. If I am on this side of the Singapore river today, I will try not to go to the other side of river.

Since the LTA would determine charges according to the average speed of vehicles passing through the gantries, my advice to all fellow drivers, we need to up speed collectively to save our pockets.

Our honourable minister said in the long run, the ERP gantries would be good for the restaurants and businesses in CBD areas. I heard over the radio, "In the long run, I wonder whether our businesses would be around to enjoy it."

It is confirmed...

... that US is the world's biggest polluter.

US President George W. Bush admitted so in his farewell words at the G8 Summit.

Value of Time

Brian Lam's design

Well this is the second time this year where I have to deal with someone in the banking industry for NOT understanding the VALUE of TIME.

Well Edgar, why are you picking on people in banking?
My answer would be that they are the people who is suppose to know very well as they charge you interest on loan every second of the day.

There was this salesperson from a local bank who was supposed to call me on Tuesday. She finally called me on Friday with her bubbly voice. I tried to dampen her bubbliness by telling her that I had wanted to complain against her for time tardiness.

She apologised with a reason. I was not going to accept it. So I told her in no uncertain terms that she has lost the deal due to her mistake. Full stop.

I am wondering why the bank allows the sales staff to hoard sales leads when the staff concerned was not able to complete the transaction. The bank should have a system for someone else to take over. Well the bank lost too. Poor sales management.

The third issue I have is that the caller's phone numbers is hidden. Why? Are you trying to do business or not?

Give you one, then take away the other...

my gifts

LTA has announced that we are keeping the oldest bus stop in Chao Chu Kang as part of our heritage.

URA (I think) announced a few days later that the Government is acquiring the New 7-Storey Hotel to make way for the Downtown MRT line.

Maybe, the future MRT station there could be call 7-Storey Station.