Summary: Wheelchair-bound father ignored by taxi drivers. Singaporean taxi drivers have been constantly avoiding to give rides to wheelchair bound people and the elderly. Reason? They claim that these people lack the money to pay up for their rides, and are also a hassle. This particular Singaporean that shared said that her father was constantly late for his dialysis treatment despite preparing to get into a taxi 2hours before his treatment. The taxi drivers would give excuses like "Sorry, I'm going for my break now" or "Oh, I'm not going that way" just to turn them down. On one particular incident, her father was just about to get onto the taxi, when the taxi drove off, almost making her father fall, thankfully the other taxi driver behind them came forward to help. This proves that there are some kind taxi drivers too. Some other taxi drivers in the queue of taxi stands would also just drive off when they notice handicap people that are next in the queue.
Comments/Views/Thoughts:
I find that taxi drivers should treat the sick, handicap and the elderly with respect. On the forum thread itself, one taxi driver posted that the reason why they do not pick up these people is because they are normally rude and also poor. He believes that these people should not take advantage of their sickness and disability to cheat off these drivers to give them a free or cheaper ride. However, I believe that he should not categorize or group disability with poverty. Singapore is supposed to be a class-free country, everyone should be treated equally. It is not only the sick that would cheat or claim to have less money to pay up, but even the young would also do the same. If the taxi driver really is in going off or going for a break, he should not even be in the taxi queue, he should be by the side of the queue, asking people who is heading in that direction and then offer them a ride.
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