Remember the man who praised a cabbie for giving him a free ride when he was down and out, and then subsequently became a taxi driver himself? Well, Paul Chua took to the Singapore Taxi Driver Facebook page again yesterday morning, this time to recount an incident that struck a chord with him over the weekend.
Taking the late shift in the wee hours of Sunday morning, Chua was on the lookout for new customers around 4am along Geylang Road when he spotted a “frail lady” trying but failing to get a cab. Instinctively, he knew that she probably didn’t have enough money for a taxi trip, which was why drivers kept rejecting her.
Describing her as sick-looking and in a hurry to grab a cab, Chua approached her “out of curiosity and compassion” to ask if she needed help.
Turns out, she only had S$10 on her but needed to get to Indus Road, which would cost around S$12 to S$15. Figuring it wasn’t a big deal, Chua told her to hop in the car.
During the journey, the tired-looking older woman revealed her situation to him. Saturday night was her first time back to her job as a sex worker in the area, but because of a fight that resulted in a police raid, everyone scattered and she didn’t manage to get any business. The only cash she had was borrowed from another sex worker.
When asked if she would consider finding alternatives to make a living, the lady explained she suffered from kidney problems and was too weak to hold down other jobs.
“Providing sex service is the only means of making some money for her,” Chua said. “And she was proud that she did not [resort] to stealing or begging or even cheating other people.”
Upon reaching her destination, Chua took her S$10 note and put it back in her hands, telling her to buy herself breakfast with the money instead. Both tearing up — one at the kindness of a stranger and one with empathy for the other’s situation — they then parted ways.
Chua ended his story on a light-hearted note, revealing that one of his final customers for the morning gave him an extra S$8 and told him to keep the change. Guess what comes around goes around.
“Do give a helping hand if it’s not too troublesome for you guys,” he appealed to the other cabbies in the group.
