OF CABBIES AND CLINICS

Last week I used the taxi a lot.

On Monday, Elida and I took a cab home after a meeting at the college. I asked about my grandchildren and Elida kept me up to date on Adam and Aisya's progress in school. Aisyah is doing very well but Adam is struggling in some subjects. The taxi driver chipped in with some pointers, citing his own experience with his kids.

I guess most taxi drivers are good talkers. They comment about everything. Sometimes you get new insights from them. Most of the time they complain. This, I guess , is to balance up things because we usually complain a lot about them.

On Thursday, I sent Mimi to school by cab. The taxi driver was a silent, brooding type so I didn't bother to make any conversation. He didn't drive well either. The taxi was jerking the whole way and I was glad to be let off at Amcorp Mall.

On Friday, I had an appointment at HUKM, Cheras and took a taxi there. When we were passing through Bandar Permaisuri, I saw an old signboard designating the site of a mosque. I asked the cab driver how long has the sign been there and he gave logical reasons why the mosque is not being built yet. Taxi rides can be educational too.

On the way back, I hopped on a lime green cab driven by a jovial old man. I found out that he is as old as me. He told me he couldn't just sit around doing nothing so he drives a cab. He enlightened me on the reasons for the impending increase in taxi and bus fare. Batteries gone up, tyres gone up, petrol gone up etc etc. He then told me about his kids. He has a mixed bunch. A few are successful, some are giving him headaches. But he wasn't complaining although he confided in me that his wife complained that he is "too amorous".

Oh, my appointment was for a check up. I had to wait in the Orthopaedic Clinic. Streams of people with broken limbs trooped in. Some were in casts, some were in slings. Some got by with crutches and a few with wheel chairs. Got me thinking. If I had waited in Mimi Marina's Eye Clinic, I would have seen a lot of people with eye patches, sore eyes and such. I am glad I didn't wait in a clinic where they treat people with piles.