What level of education might you expect your regular cabbie to have?
I think I might have met the most highly educated one I might ever hope to meet. He's got a double degree from the States, and was apparently even a US president's scholar (I didn't even know America has those too), and was working in the US for over a decade before his return.
He was quick to inform me that he's got just about a week's worth of taxi-driving under his belt, so he doesn't exactly know his way around.
The obvious question had to be asked: What are you doing driving a cab?
It seems it all started with the financial meltdown. He was retrenched by his US employer and was unable to secure employment despite being in possession of the hallowed Green Card (which he whipped out his wallet to show me at the end of the journey, to prove it isn't actually green in colour).
Then he apparently attended a seminar conducted by the Singapore government to entice overseas talents to return. Lots of jobs for them, train the PMETs, overseas experience will stand them in good steed, they were apparently told.
Thus sold on the promise of jobs, he returned to good ol' Singers ... and apparently looked for one in vain for a year before taking up driving. As one can imagine, he wasn't exactly full of praise for the government - labeling them liars and such.
Unfortunately, I forgot to ask him if he was perhaps pricing himself out of a job (assuming US employers pay more). Still, more fuel for the anti-foreign talents camp.
Perhaps they can take it out on the presidential polls (if someone besides Dr Tan Cheng Bock steps up). Apparently, the citizens are now itching to exercise their democratic rights more than ever. It's what happens when people get a taste of intoxicating power.
