The Promised Land

Today I was at my weekly madness again - Run from my house to ECP Mac. I even had to firmly turn down a dinner invitation by Bollocks and Chioh to persist with my madness, much to their disappointment.

Retribution did strike me later.

I arrived at my destination in good time. I.e. It took me just around an hour to get there. Once there I got down to my usual business.

1. Buy a can of H2O from the 7 eleven.
2. Sit on one of the saloms by the beach and enjoy the well-deserved can of H2O.
3. Listen to the sound of the waves.
4. Sort out/Forget all my troubles.
5. Go to macdonald and buy chicken foldover and green tea.
6. Go home.

Usually the cabs would be waiting for me by the road. But today... today... there was a rumble for cabs. There were couples everywhere waiting for cabs. Along the same stretch of road, some pairs were ahead of me, some after me, there was even a pair hugging each other beside me! lol. Being in pairs help. Can hug to kill time while waiting for cab.

Is today Valentine's Day at ECP?

Determined not to be outdone by the hordes of couples straying further upstream to intercept my cab, I overtook them and stood in a supposedly good position.

15 mins had passed. No vacant cab came.

I wandered back to mac, and went further downstream. Another 15 mins had passed. Again no vacant cab came.

Today business was really good at ECP. I thought the crowd would usually be present only on friday and weekend nights. Maybe there could be another way to explain this phenomenum. On friday nights (which I usually do my runs), people don't have to work the next day, so they could afford to stay up and hang around at ECP. That's why I had all the cabs I wanted at around 9 plus. On thursday night, everyone had to go back early for work next day. So I had to compete with the world for cabs at around 9 plus.

I swear I will never do my runs again on anyday other than a friday night!

So how on earth am I going to get home with all these competition? If I were to faithfully just follow law and wait for a taxi to come my way with all these people around,

I will never make it back.

And I had already wasted 1 hour trying to get a cab. Time check: 2215. Usually I would have been home by 2130. Sigh.

I must get out of this place if I were to have any chance of getting a vacant cab. But without vacant cabs how am I going to get out of this place? Chicken and egg question. Lucky I am a rather unorthodox person.

Just be shameless and hitch a ride from someone and get out of this place first.

Thus I stood hawkishly at the taxi queue. The next cab that comes along I will pounce on it irregardless of whoever approaches it first.

A few minutes later, a cab came true to my expectations. A rather hostile couple went into it. The guy was clearly pissed off at having to wait so long for a cab.

Ok better not be a light bulb and antagonise a fire boar. I shall wait for the next cab to come.

My heart sank when another hostile looking couple went up to the next cab. The guy got ang kongs all over his arms. The girl smoked until she looked like a chimmey. Would I be kidnapped and sold to Desker Road if I got into this cab? But inexplicably, they got out.

The cab was not going in their direction.

A young lady reacted swiftly and pounced on the cab before me. This might be my only chance to get out of this cursed place. I better act fast. I put on my most pitiful and desperate face and opened front door of the cab.

"Miss, may I hitch a ride to wherever you are going? I desperately need to get out of here because it's so hard to get a cab!"

他妈的... Sounded so 琼瑶。It's like I will 陪你走到天涯海角like that. So mushy. I think she must be super chua dio lah.

But somehow it worked! She agreed to let me tag along free of charge! Must have been the tears (of desperation) that sparkled in my eyes which did the trick.

I triumphantly rode my way out towards Bedok. Yes I was clearly embarassed with my bold behavior, and yet grateful to the generosity of the young lady. The cab driver let me off somewhere near Tweety's house.

Now comes the key question. Was my reasoning right? i.e. It would be easier to get a vacant cab as long as I am out of ECP.

I wouldn't know for sure. My previous experience of getting vacant cabs at this area was pretty good because I used to take cabs home from my camp (which also happened to be around here).

Would I be rewarded again tonight?

Let's just cross the road, then wait and see. 5 seconds later, not 1 but 3 vacant cabs appeared out of the slip road and sped towards me! I even had the luxury of choosing which brand I wanted. Comfort, Citycab, or SMRT.

I knew I had reached the promised land.

I took the Citycab taxi home because my dad also drives for Citycab.

So here I am, drinking my brother's heartwarming campbell soup and writing all these happening stuff online. I wonder what would happen if I did not shamelessly approach that lady for help. I wonder what time would I reach home if I just followed law. In any case,

If not for that cab, I will still be drinking tears at ECP.