Constructive Deconstruction

Flat Fees for Cabs should suffice

Bernard writes an interesting article regarding how to tackle the Taxi problem. Sometimes it amazes me that the higherups don’t think of it. Don’t they employ like the best people from various fields to do studies and map out strategies and all? Hmmm….

So, is there a possible solution to the problem to solve both problems? Yes, the solution is simple - take away the surcharges during peak hours and force the taxi drivers to compete fairly. By doing that, you reduce the chances of bad behaviour and reward good behaviour. Unless the taxi companies and LTA decide to adopt some economic sensibility, otherwise two things will happen in the long run: one, more people will buy cars if they can afford it and stop using taxi cabs and two, getting a continuous stream of complaints every day.

( Source : Simple Is The Reason of My Heart )

Festive Mood @ Sun Plaza Coffee Bean

 
Merry Christmas!

I just settled down here at today’s work area. Heh, I decided I needed to chill out(and work) at some place that had coffee and well, a happy feel.

This place did not disappointed. Everything from the music, to the voices of children playing and youths talking it clearly makes things really lively. But if anything specific had to be mentioned, it would be the lively staff that goes, "HELLO!" And he says it so cheerfully and loud that everyone in the joint can hear him! It’s like a Santa’s in the store! Haha

(Oh, another reason why I came here was…Starbucks was having an open house with free coffee…I’d expect it to be superbly crowded. Too crowded for my liking…)

NEA Proposes to Have Bring-Your-Own-Bag day once a week

While the effectiveness of the monthly Bring-Your-Own-Bag Day(BYOBD) was heavily debated before, I’m sure it at least made a small difference. I’m hopeful that at least a few decided to either buy the reusable bags(which hopefully helped cut down the use of plastic bags for their other routines).

Thus, I think it’s an awesome idea to have on a higher frequency! I’m probably going to go, "Damn. I should have come here tomorrow instead" but that’s a gripe i’m willing to go through for this cause.

I think it’s pretty cool that Popular Bookstore will also be joining in the initiative.

I do think, however, that the disincentive(or donation as some people would prefer to see it) should be higher. Singaporeans can definitely afford 10c per plastic bag without much thought.

According to an NEA survey, more shoppers have become aware of the BYOB initiative since it launched six months ago, with about 60 per cent supporting the campaign by bringing their own bags, making donations for plastic bags, buying reusable bags, or refusing plastic bags for small items.

Significantly, 67 percent of respondents "even commented that the campaign could be carried out more frequently", said NEA chief executive Lee Yuen Hee.

( Source : The Straits Times )

"Stop Whining!" Should We Be Evaluating Ourselves Based on Others?

There was a short discussion on twitter earlier today about the state of public transport in Singapore. There were many who were disappointed but later on some individuals mentioned that the system here is actually better off than many other transport systems overseas.

This made me think again about how we evaluate things here. It also made me think about how we should be evaluating ourselves.

Truth is, there have been many people who have stated many times how efficient our system is. And I agree with them. Compared to all the horror stories that i’ve heard from my friends who are overseas and the few experiences that i’ve had eons ago, we’re doing pretty well.

The truth is also this : That while we should be thankful for what we have, this should not be a basis for lowering expectation. Let me give you an example.

If we were in a classroom environment and we both scored a 49% making us the top 2 students in class and the person ranked next scored a 22%. Effectively, everyone’s failed(Assuming the passing mark is 50%). Should our parents then be disappointed because they harboured the expectation of at least a pass? Would it be right for us to say to them, "Hey, look. Everyone else got 22% or lower. Back off, will you?"

At the end of the day, I think we should really be measuring ourselves against…ourselves. And when it comes to a lot of local issues. These couple of months have shown us many price hikes without an equivalent improvement of services. Is that justified? I don’t think so.

We are lucky compared to many other nations. Yes, we truly are.
But just because we are doesn’t mean that that should be a universal reason that overrides the expectation for fair consumer treatment.
…I suspect the 3 lines above this one applies to many other things in Singapore too.

I usually stand on the side that Singaporeans whine too much. So, for once I say…

"Whine on!"

Facebook Apologises for "Mistake" : Good PR

Some local companies should learn from this. I won’t mention names though. Heh.

Mark Zuckerberg explained the rationale for some of the actions and apologises for mishandling not just the implementation but also subsequent reactions to Project Beacon.

While some people might say that they were forced to apologise. Well, at least they admitted it.

Oh, and if you want to deactivate Beacon from working on your Facebook account, you can do that now.

Read Mark’s Entry Here