"Who says you can't make money driving taxis?"

When I got into this taxi, I thought that this would be a quiet ride home. Until we got near the entrance of the CTE tunnel at Havelock Road. I noticed that the electronic noticeboard says "Jam in Tunnel", so I yelled out to Mr. Taxi Driver not to go onto the CTE. He made a quick swerve - not into the path of an on-coming car, I might add - and took the alternative route. And then turned around to thank me for having seen the noticeboard! That took me quite by surprise, and I couldn't help blurting out "I thought taxi drivers like to get stuck in jams!"

"No lah, what a waste of time! I earn less money getting stuck in jam, you know!"

This is new news to me!

"Really? How come? It's more expensive for me, so you must make more money being stuck in the jam right?"

"No lah! If I'm stuck in the jam, it means that my earn rate per hour is lower than normal. So instead of making $60 an hour, I'm only making $40 an hour. You know what I mean?"

"But the taxi fare is higher what. So how come you don't make as much?"

"Ya lah, the taxi fare is higher. But it's not much more money for me. It doesn't cover what I would normally earn. You  know ah, I don't simply pick up passengers wan. I have a strategy. I only pick up from airport and hotels. You are lucky that I pick up you up. I don't normally do street pick up wan."

"Why not?"

"What for? I go airport and hotel, the fare there usually higher. I told you, got strategy wan. You know ah, when you have strategy, can make a lot of money. On average, I make $200 to $300 a day. You know?"

I did some mental calculations and figured that it was a fairly decent income to be making. He then divulged his trade strategy to me - which I won't repeat here, but it was a pretty sound strategy. After all, he IS making $200 to $300 a day!

"You should write a book lah."

"Me? Write a book? No lah! Then my secret won't be secret anymore. I get more competition. You not competition only I tell you. If you drive taxi, I won't tell you this!"

"So how come all the other taxi drivers always..."

"Complain they don't make enough money right? It's because they are LAZY lah! They all sit in taxi queue and wait for 30 minutes, 45 minutes for someone to take their taxi. For me, I only wait 5 minutes in the queue. If got no passengers, I leave. Go somewhere else, where got more business."

"So where's the best area for business?"

"Suntec/Marina area lah. Got a lot of hotels there mah."

"Oh yah...and there's no MRT there, so everyone must take cabs!"

"Got MRT or no MRT, no difference wan lah! I tell you, last time when I was working in my old job, I never take MRT wan. What for? Take cab, at least send you door to door. Take MRT must walk up, walk down. Too much trouble lah. I always took a cab, when I was working."

"So what did you used to do before you started driving taxi?"

"Me ah? I'm actually an engineer."

What? An engineer, working as a taxi driver? Why? I've heard of people who are qualified to take on better jobs, but end up driving taxis. But this is my first encounter with one of these 'people'.

"But why are you driving a taxi?"

"I used to work in a factory. And then they expand and want to send me to China. But I don't like the package lah, so I stopped working lah. They paid me to stop working woh. 1 month for every year I was working. And you know how long I've been working ah? I've got nearly 30 years experience in the factory! So I took the money, stopped working, then went travelling with my wife."

"Wah! Where did you go?"

"Everywhere lah. I went travelling for one year. One and a half years."

"Wah! So which country was your favourite?"

"Favourite ah? I like Austria lah. And Switzerland."

"Wah! Why?"

"I like the buildings lah. Very interesting."

"Oooohhh..."

"Then I come back, I drive taxi lah. You know the best part? I got no boss!"

"Yah, true, true."

"And you know? I'm making about the same money that I used to make. And I get a free car. Good what."

"But why you don't want to go back to working in a factory?"

"What for? My two sons, they also engineer. I say, if I go back to work as engineer, more competition for them. Haha."

"Wah. Where are they working? Here?"

"Ya. One in Japan. One American. But they don't come back a lot lah. When they come back, don't even have time to see me. Come back on Friday, see girlfriend on Saturday, then leave on Sunday. I only see them when I pick them up from airport and send them back to airport. Haha."

"Oh. So busy ah?"

"Ya lah. But you know what ah? They don't pay taxi fare, but they ask me to print out receipt and then take and claim back from company! I tell you ah...they learn all this from me lah. Haha."

That unfortunately, brought me to my destination. But I was impressed at how someone had made something that seems so menial become a 'thinking person's job'. And how strategy does make a difference in what you do. If only I believe that I have a strategy tied to what I'm doing now...!