Fare Scare

On Monday night I took a cab back home. The fare is usually around RM8 but things are bound to change when you knew that the fare will be increased by RM1.

Ok. That wasn't so bad. But on Monday night, the fare really gave me quite a scare.

I started noticing the metre halfway on the road. It was RM5 already and that was less than half the journet back home. There's a news article from an English newspaper at the back of the front passenger seat, saying there's a 30% increase in taxi and bus fares. Wait a minute. I thought you only add RM1 to the metre? I started to feel uncomfortable. I couldn't read the words because it was dark and the prints were tiny. My heart seemed to beat faster when I look at the metre's figure jumping. Isn't it 10 cents for every 150 metres? I could feel that it's less than 150m everytime the number goes up. Mind you mister taxi driver, I have all the experiences about taxi and fares.

I sms-ed Mr Clarinet to complain and let him know about the cab's plate number, but he told me to ask the taxi driver. Maybe there's more than just the RM1 increase? Ok, I thought. Then I talked to the driver. He asked me to look at the news he put behind the front seats! The words are too small, sorry mister. Could you just sum it up? Then -- he told me that the metre has been adjusted at JPJ and it's 10 cents every 100 metres and who knows how many seconds for each 10 cents.

Damn. I got home at a whopping RM15 something. He charged me 15. I was cursing in my head. 30% your head! I've just paid almost double of what I usually pay for!

The next day I was hesitant to get a cab. I check the news online and found out that there's been great changes -- 10 cents for every 115 metres (old:150m) and 10 cents for every 21 seconds (old:45 seconds). You call that 30%?!

Anyway, I still believe the driver tampered with his metre. It was running super fast and I still don't think it would come up to RM15 because the traffic was not that heavy. Some waiting at the traffic lights -- but RM15? I don't think so.

When can I have a car? I don't like to pollute mother earth but there aren't many choices with bad public transport and little money in my pocket. Sighs. I need a car.