90 beeps

02.09.08
8.50am
CTE

ERP: 9 freaking dollars.

It is one of those mornings when I just couldn't drag my feet to walk 10 mins to the train station and end up being sweaty and agitated, so I hailed a cab, an old Nissan Cedric (there are only a handful of them left on the roads) to save myself from being canned like a sardine.

I like old cabs; the worn out seats, stale smell of the car and cracks on the passenger window gives me a feeling of nostalgia. The taxi was running on an old meter. The button for adding the surcharges comes only in 10 cents denomination (newer models come with dollar options). The poor taxi driver had to press the button 90 freaking times to add up the $9 ERP surcharge. Hearing 90 beeps at one go sounded like Wall.E on steroids.

The taxi driver, after adding up the sums turned around and said that this is the first time he clocked so much in ERP charges as he normally drives night shifts. The look on his face was a mixture of sheepishness and empathy. Sheepish because he feels bad for taking money from me on behalf of the G, empathy because he can understand how bad I must be feeling having my money taken away from me.

He asked me if I needed a receipt, thinking that I can probably get it reimbursed at work. But I told him no. This is my lunch money, just take it.