In the Taximan's Story by Catherine Lim, there was once a taxi man who is a driver for almost twenty years. In the story the taximan enunciate to his passenger how Singapore was liked in the past and contrasted it in the present. The story highlighted how money influenced people to do such unclean job.
There was once a taximan who have been hired by a female passenger who is a teacher. While they are in the middle of the traffic, the taxi man shared one of his life story about being a taxi man and a father. He told his passenger that long time ago Singapore is not as crowded as the present. He also said that during his time Singapore haven't introduce family planning yet, that is why he had six sons and two daughters. He said that he is so lucky because, his four sons are already working. He told his passenger that some students now a days are just school boys and girls in the morning but at night they act like big shots, they spent money, smokes, and wore latest fashion and make love. He also shared what does her daughter did while studying in a University. He said that one day while he was driving and passes a coffee shop he think he saw his daughter Lay Choo with other girls and some Europeans. But he neglected that idea because he strongly believed that Lay Choo is in school and doing her extra works, and that girl in the coffee shop was very bold in her behavior so he thinks he was just mistaken. But, on the next day he was sure that he saw Lay Choo. He stopped his taxi angrily and slapped her and dragged her to get inside the taxi. He drives her home and beat her. After that incident he locked Lay Choo for three days in her room and just told her teacher that she was sick. He felt so mad that his daughter made cheap of herself when her father is driving all day to save money for her University. After a long ride the passenger arrived on her destination. She asked the taxi man to wait for her until he finished her meeting. But, the taxi man apologized because he still has many passengers to pick because it is Friday.
Reading the Taxi man’s story has something to tell about the real happening in our society. I just don’t like the concept where Catherine Lim discriminates ladies studying in a university, just because the taximan caught Lay Choo in the coffee Shop where he usually gets his costumers he already think that all girls studying in a university is already a prostitute? Maybe it’s just there meeting place when they are planning to make reviews, projects and any other school related activities. I also don’t want how Catherine Lim introduced the Europians because he might influence the thinking of a certain reader. They might think Europians are needing girls to provide their lust.
I don’t want how the taximan became so selfish just to provide the needs of his family , besides Catherine stated in the story that the taximan has four sons who is already working, why not he just stay at home for good and let his sons to support their younger sibling. Even though how hard working the taxi man is, he still has a daughter that causes trouble to him. He doesn’t know that one of his children Is being involve in an unclean job. He thought that he is just seeing such dirty jobs to the people who hired his taxi, but he don’t know it is already done by one of the member of his family.