Citizens who have been lucky enough to hitch a ride in 39-year-old Myo Thet’s taxi will tell you that it’s perhaps the best one in the city.
Last week, Yangon resident May Thin Yin was one such fortunate resident and was so amazed by the car and its driver that she uploaded a post about Myo Thet’s cab that has since gone viral — and we can see why.
As May Thin Yin details, Myo Thet’s taxi is not only air-conditioned, but it also contains simple yet incredibly useful day-to-day amenities such as free water (both iced and room temperature), Paracetamol, plasters, hand sanitizer, a notepad in case you need to jot down something, and even a trash can.
Myo Thet tells Coconuts Yangon that he’s been a taxi driver for five years now, although he only pimped out his ride three years ago.
When we asked what prompted him to go out of his way to provide such attention to his passengers, Myo Thet explained, “We’re all going about our days with our own troubles and worries. The things in my car are things that one person or another will need at one time or another; when this happens, I want whatever it is that they need to be ready when they need it. It raises a person’s spirits when the thing they need is readily available.”
Like most people on Facebook who saw photos of his car, Myo Thet states that people are surprised when they step in, but more importantly, they feel a sense of joy.
“They’re delighted. Even if they end up not using anything, they’re in good spirits, which in turn makes me happy.”
As May Thin Yin wrote, the point of her post, and that of Myo Thet’s taxi, is goodwill. While being a taxi driver is not the most lucrative of careers, Myo Thet doesn’t view the items in his taxi as losses out of his income.
He explains, “Most people view it [the amenities] as a service, but really it’s a donation. I want to bring joy to others, which is why I donate these things. I don’t look at how much it costs me or calculate how much monetary profit I make. My passengers’ daily happiness is my gain.”
If you’d like to schedule Myo Thet’s taxi — he asks for at least a day’s notice — and give this man a much-deserved tip, you can do so by calling him at 09795260031 or 09457953766.
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