Don't assume that taxi driver speaks no english.....

[Guest Yau]

South China Morning Post

2004-09-16

Teacher is arrested for refusing to pay taxi fare

A Canadian expatriate teacher was arrested in Sha Tin after he allegedly insulted a taxi driver by calling him a "Chinese pig and stupid", and left without paying a $15 fare yesterday.

The man, 32, jumped into Lam Chung-chiu's cab at the taxi stand outside the University KCRC station and asked to go to Sun Chui Estate in Sha Tin.

Shortly after, he asked me whether I could reach [the destination] in 15 minutes. I told him that I would try.

secondary school teacher then asked the cab to turn back. My English is poor. So I asked him to make sure whether I should drive him back to the station. And I was told to go back to the KCRC station, Mr Lam said.

Before we reached the taxi stand, he [called] me a Chinese pig and stupid for not understanding what he had said.

When the cab stopped, Mr Lam said he asked for the $15 fare. but the passenger refused. Mr Lam said the man ignored his demand, then entered the railway station. The railway workers asked the teacher not to leave, but he ignored them and boarded another train.

Police then arrived and arrested the teacher, who was released unconditionally last night.

[yonglan]

I'm sure you had a point to make in posting an entire newspaper article. Unfortunately, I don't know what your point is. Thanks anyway, it's been years since I read a SCMP story. Too many free newspapers on the web, so I won't subscribe.

[Guest Yau]

真有趣, 你在此自便, 我無興趣應酬你的新仇舊恨.

[wushijiao]

I once spoke to a taxi diver in Beijing who had great conversational English. We talked about the Iraq war. He even knew the names of complex weapons systems. And he only had a middle school education! Amazing.

[xiaomawang]

I met a HK taxi driver with his spoken languages listed on the name card, the little plastic stand on the dashboard. You know what, it said 'Cantonese, Mandarin, English, French'. And he said that he could just manage to entertain customers. But I think he's awesome!