It was a usual busy Monday in KL city. I had foreign friends in town and decided that we’d LRT into KL and taxi around the tourist spots for the day, saving on parking and experiencing true Malaysia without the traffic jams. After approaching 10 taxi drivers and walking up and down busy Bukit Bintang street trying to get a metered taxi, I lost my cool.
I argued with a tout for wanting to charge us RM20 to drive from Pavilion to KLCC – a walk-able distance. Yes, we had to take a cab because we had luggage and it was raining. So there I was – on one hand trying to show my friends beautiful Malaysia but instead all my efforts were ruined when I argued with the 11th taxi driver.
We got so fed up, that we walked some more and gave in. It was infuriating. Obviously, we didn’t have a choice and they knew it. We would finally cave. Three minutes and ten ringgit poorer, we reached our destination – the pride of our nation – the Twin Towers where the movie Entrapment was filmed. I definitely felt entrapped … What a rip-off, I kept thinking.
I felt violated and this was not the first time which made it even worse. Then I thought, should I not have argued with the tout and taken down his cab number? I knew the only reason I did argue was because there were four of us and one big guy. So I was “safe” but transport-less and potentially stranded ... unless I gave in but I just didn’t want to – without a fight.
I’d have kept quiet and paid him had I been alone. I thought to myself why is this the situation? Why do they have to resort to such behaviour?
The reality is that these taxi drivers themselves need more than what they earn to survive. And perhaps they aren’t getting paid enough to provide for themselves and their families. Yes, some seem to want to make a quick buck and see it as their right to cheat but in general, the system in place is not working.
Surely this is a problem that can be resolved if it was important enough to those who had the power to do something and were forced to depend on public transport daily.
I guess the only reason I feel affected is because I decided not to drive into town one day but if I never did, I wouldn’t know the plight of those who do it everyday.
Human nature is that we care for what is ours. It takes effort to see beyond ourselves and to listen to another’s views. I find it hard even to do that in my daily life, what more our public figures when everything seems magnified.
Sometimes we argue, fight, defend and try to protect our rights and get nowhere except being exhausted. So maybe what we need is to stop arguing and start communicating. It’s definitely not easy but it is possible. It’s important to know when to argue and when to let go.
Though, when in a position of influence it is important to dialogue instead of debate unless it’s during an election. Civilised discourse needs to be the first response and not the last option. While we need to cultivate an appetite for peace instead of conflict, we must remember that peace does not mean pushing someone into a corner but it means acceptance and finding common ground.
Every soldier who fires a round needs time to reload. I understand why sometimes leaders stay quiet when their followers want a response. It is because we have to choose our battles if not we too will perish fighting in the battles we pick.
We need to strike a balance. So instead of following Newton’s law of motion, and reacting to everything, we need to stop reacting and start listening and start talking.
Extending an olive branch doesn’t make us weak, or nullify our arguments. It means that you’re strong enough to want to work things through.
I ended up laughing with that taxi driver about being Malaysian and the need to argue. Perhaps, if I were a taxi driver, I would have charged far more if my office were the roads of Kuala Lumpur.
Natalie would not make a good tour guide and wonders if anything will change the next time she’s in need of a taxi in KL.
Comments: letters@thesundaily.com
