The Taximan's Story by Catherine Lim

A passenger requests a taxi driver to take her to the National University of Singapore quickly for a meeting. The taxi driver assures her they will arrive in plenty of time, mentioning a faster route with less traffic.

The passenger asks the taxi driver how long he's been driving. He replies it's been 20 years, reminiscing about a more peaceful and less crowded Singapore in the past, with fewer taxis, cars, and buses.

The driver discusses the need to work hard in Singapore, especially for those without education or capital. He mentions having a large family with eight children (six sons and two daughters) and touches upon the lack of family planning in earlier times, contrasting it with the government's current advice to have fewer children.

The driver talks about his grown children, four of whom are working as a businessman, clerks, and a teacher. One son is in national service, and another is still in school. He mentions his eldest daughter, 20-plus, who stays home and helps her mother, noting her shyness and poor health. He expresses concern about his other daughter, lamenting how some young people today disobey their parents, unlike his generation who were strictly disciplined.

The passenger agrees about the troubles with today's youth. The driver points out school children acting like 'big shots,' smoking, wearing fashion, and making love. He reveals that as a taxi driver, he observes their habits, including schoolgirls changing out of uniforms in public places to go out and make money, even more than he earns.

The driver, a teacher, advises the passenger to be vigilant if she has a daughter who claims to have school meetings, urging her to verify their whereabouts. He then reveals his personal reason: his once-promising daughter, whom he hoped would go to university, was seen with Europeans, dressed up and with makeup. Out of anger and worry, he confronted and physically disciplined her, locking her in her room for three days.

The passenger asks about the daughter's current situation. The driver states that everything is 'okay' now, with his daughter only leaving for school and her mother monitoring her friends. He expresses that he 'cannot trust her anymore.' The passenger then asks if he can wait for her after her meeting, but the driver declines, needing to pick up more passengers. He thanks the passenger for listening to his story.