Taxi ridership falls year on year

On Feb 21, the daily average taxi ridership data was published on ST.

It confirmed the fact that fewer people are taking taxis. I guess the incessant increase in taxi fares and ERP charges are actually discouraging taxi riderships for other forms of public transportation.

But the number of taxis on the roads have increased tremendously. This increase in taxis has led to reported poaching of taxi drivers. Many went to secure a taxi driver licence as an insurance against being jobless.

So if the actual taxi riderships have gone done, is there a need for more taxis to be on the roads? As more taxis ==> contributing to jams ==> higher ERP ==> discourage further demand for taxi... So is this what the taxi drivers want?

But they can't try to compensate for their lower income by pressuring the taxi companies to raise fares. This is not the solution either.

The problem is the demand. If the demand is declining due to competing alternatives available to passengers and the trend seems irreversible, a taxi driver should be thinking of re-training and joining another profession soon!

think twice before forwarding that SMS

suppose to be ready by end 2009?

Last Saturday, a well intentioned friend forwarded a SMS to me about some terrorist and police activities at Bugis Junction. I replied with a caution that I hope she has checked the info before forwarding. Otherwise you could be called up for disseminating harmful rumours.

Instead of thanking me for the caution, she responded, "Then you don't forward."

Puzzled by lack of care attitude. Sigh we need to know the consequences of our action.

The very next day, it was reported in the newspaper that a 19-year young man has been arrested in connection with the SMS.

Well I hope she has read the paper. I doubt she reads. :(

True Spa and 16 unhappy customers

I have had a bad experience with the said entity too.

My focus here is the method adopted by the 29-year-old assistant marketing manager, Ms Tan Siang Mei, who bought a $4,000/- spa package in 2006, to seek remedy from True Spa.

After repeated attempts to consume the package but failed, she went online to seek out people with similar experiences with True Spa. She placed her name and contact details at the many online forums.

80 responded with 15 agreeing to join her in filing a collective law suit.

Power to consumerism. Businesses beware.

Ms Shonia Ng and her dead dog

It was reported recently that Ms Shonia Ng's dog died from a CONTAGIOUS canine disease because the pet farm she bought it from, did not give it proper vaccinations.

Questions

• Can the disease be transmitted from animal to human now?
• Could it mutate and consequently enter human chain through constant hugs and kisses between the dog lovers and dogs?
• How many other such dogs without vaccinations roaming the streets of Singapore now?
• What is the Authority doing about this issue?

ERA or just a few bad apples?

Sellers- Mr and Mrs Yuen Chow Hin

ERA Property Agent - Mr Jeremy Ong

Buyers - Mdm Natassha Sadiq
Wife of Mr Jeremy Ong's boss, Mr Mike Parikh, ERA senior group division.

The Yuens sold their property to Mdm Sadiq at $688,000 to a Mdm Sadiq as recommended by Mr Ong. Mr Ong conveniently "forgotten" to tell the Yuens that the buyer is his boss's wife.

The property was subsequently resold at $945,000.

The Yuens did not smell any rat until they were queried by CPF for selling at such a low price.

Court ordered ERA (not the property agents) to return $257,000 to the Yuens. ERA said they should not be responsible as the property agents carrying their banner are "independent contractors".
My view
Whether the agents or the shell that represent the humans, the Yuens should get their monies back. I am waiting to see what will happen to Mr Ong, Mr Parikh and Mdm Sadiq. I wonder whether there is other victims... Sigh

I do not have a good impression of the property agents that I have interacted with over the years.

The first one only have to turn up for the meeting to earn her fees while we, as a young married couple then, bargained feverishly with the owners. Immediately after we got the option, the agent said she could to flip it for $30,000 profit. Huh?

The second one was a rookie entering the industry. These untrained ones should not have been let loose unattended.

My third encounter was on a tenancy matter. He tried to collect monies from both sides ie. the landlord and the tenants.

My fourth encounter was for the purchase of the current home we are staying in. Seller, a widower, was my mum-in-law' neighbour for many years. I was dealing with her all the time. Her son has the thickest cheek to approach me for money after the deal has been agreed with his mother even though I hardly see throughout the process over a few weeks. I duly tell him to back off.

Bottomline - For many years we have let the situation to persist ie. the poor state of property agency in my opinion. It is a jungle out there. Be careful.

Can buy Johor?

Kiribati, an island between Hawaii and Australia, is the second island-nation after the Maldives that has floated the idea of buying land should their islands be swamped by rising seas and more powerful storms.

The sea level around Kiribati has been rising 5.1 millimetres a year since 1991, Australia's National Tidal Centre reported.

The immediate consequence effects - Higher tides in Kiribati's 33-island archipelago are making potable water for its 100,000 residents too salty to drink.

Now switch that thought to Singapore, an island nation too. We have created reservoirs from the sea. Most recently, the Marina reservoir. Could these reservoirs be one day claimed back by salty seawater? Do we have a contingency plan for rising sea level? Build dykes around Singapore? Maybe.

Or perhaps offer a price to Johor Sultan / Malaysia to buy over Johor state as insurance against rising tide? Or should we build a Noah's Ark instead?

Semua Boleh - A country of U-turns

atms-induced traffic jam at raffles place

A neighbouring country has been observed to have so many u-turns but not on the roads though; but in major political and investment decisions.

Examples of such u-turns:-

• to sell the national cancer centre to a private company, then reversed
• to build a s-shaped bridge, then stopped
• to build one of the largest dam in this region, then stopped
• to build an airport for budget flights, then reversed
• politicians going independent yesterday and back to their incumbent party today
• another gentleman said he will have enough support to take over the government on such such a day - the day came and gone
• to charge higher petrol prices on foreign cars going into the country and then nothing

Do you know of other example?

Huh? Like this also can meh? Selamat pagi :)