The authorities have so much time on their hands that all they do is come up with silly rules about how yoga goes against religion and trying to break record after record by making the longest popiah etc.
However, the amount of open burning that goes on in the country is ridiculous, especially in areas regularly patrolled by the police. The best part is that nothing is being done about this, even though the law bans open burning due to pollution.
I can never understand why people burn rubbish - it used to have logic in the past, but whats the point of it in this day and era when there are regular garbage trucks collecting waste?
Whats the point of ruining your health AND the environment when waste can be disposed of otherwise?
Monday, December 22, 2008
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Traffic Police
I notice that there are a lot of policemen at the junction of Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan P Ramlee, and yet there is a massive jam from the exit of the AKLEH until this point. This is about 12pm weekdays.
The cause is the traffic light at the P Ramlee junction which changes too fast. The problem with this whole situation is that the policemen are just standing at the junction (there are about 4 of them) and chatting instead of directing traffic to a smoother flow.
I know this is possible as the day before, 2 policemen were stationed at each junction and the traffic was absolutely smooth.
I hope there is a difference today.
The cause is the traffic light at the P Ramlee junction which changes too fast. The problem with this whole situation is that the policemen are just standing at the junction (there are about 4 of them) and chatting instead of directing traffic to a smoother flow.
I know this is possible as the day before, 2 policemen were stationed at each junction and the traffic was absolutely smooth.
I hope there is a difference today.
Attitudes Towards Animals
This is absolutely appalling in some Malaysians. 2 situations stand out:
a) I was at the RSPCA sometime back and 2 of the volunteers came running out, with one of them screaming "I just saw a van throw a dog into the drain." And this is a big drain that runs along thet RSPCA for a few metres. When the dog was rescued, it was in a pretty bad shape, with lice, skin problems, etc. Shouldnt the owner treat this animal with dignity? Why throw it into the drain?
b) Some local officers got wind of some stray dogs and ended up victimising a dog which was INSIDE a compound of a unoccupied house. They actually pulled the dog through the bars of the gate, and tore the dog's ear in the process.
I mean, if law enforcement officers can prosecute the owner for animal abuse, can the public prosecute the officers for the same thing if they witness it? And this is far worse as the perpetrators are the ones who are supposed to make this country a safer haven for all humans and creatures alike.
a) I was at the RSPCA sometime back and 2 of the volunteers came running out, with one of them screaming "I just saw a van throw a dog into the drain." And this is a big drain that runs along thet RSPCA for a few metres. When the dog was rescued, it was in a pretty bad shape, with lice, skin problems, etc. Shouldnt the owner treat this animal with dignity? Why throw it into the drain?
b) Some local officers got wind of some stray dogs and ended up victimising a dog which was INSIDE a compound of a unoccupied house. They actually pulled the dog through the bars of the gate, and tore the dog's ear in the process.
I mean, if law enforcement officers can prosecute the owner for animal abuse, can the public prosecute the officers for the same thing if they witness it? And this is far worse as the perpetrators are the ones who are supposed to make this country a safer haven for all humans and creatures alike.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Monks in KL
Everyday as I drive to work, I'm bound to see SOMEONE in a monk outfit (either the yellow/orange/brown robe or the brown pants and loose top) walking around and looking for "victims".
The reason I say this is because its so obviously a scam where all they're out to do is make money out of some unsuspecting tourist.
I've actually noticed them only making a beeline for whites. First you see them walking very leisurely, like only a monk can. When he spots a tourist, he picks up his pace and goes right up to him and taps him on the back. When the tourist turns around, the monk puts his palms together in a gesture of respect (like an Indian greeting) and gives the tourist something (probably a prayer card etc). Then if the tourist walks away after thanking the monk, the monk runs after him to ask for money.
I've seen this EVERY time I drive to work and I think its time someone stopped them from begging in the name of religion and gave them a proper job.
The reason I say this is because its so obviously a scam where all they're out to do is make money out of some unsuspecting tourist.
I've actually noticed them only making a beeline for whites. First you see them walking very leisurely, like only a monk can. When he spots a tourist, he picks up his pace and goes right up to him and taps him on the back. When the tourist turns around, the monk puts his palms together in a gesture of respect (like an Indian greeting) and gives the tourist something (probably a prayer card etc). Then if the tourist walks away after thanking the monk, the monk runs after him to ask for money.
I've seen this EVERY time I drive to work and I think its time someone stopped them from begging in the name of religion and gave them a proper job.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Astro
Astro has recently taken to showing a thank you advertisement featuring Malaysians saying thank you in English, BM, Mandarin, Tamil and Punjabi - thanking their customers for staying with them throughout the card swapping exercise and thanking them for their loyalty.
And exactly WHAT loyalty are we talking about when its just about the ONLY cable TV company in Malaysia? Its a monopoly - there's no need to thank us, we HAVE NO CHOICE.
And that's why Astro doesnt see the need to do anything about the complaints that have been coming in for YEARS over the same problem - WHY CANT WE VIEW ANYTHING WHEN ITS RAINING?
And you're thanking us for our loyalty? Trust me, if we had a choice, you wouldnt be spending part of your profits on airtime thanking us.
And exactly WHAT loyalty are we talking about when its just about the ONLY cable TV company in Malaysia? Its a monopoly - there's no need to thank us, we HAVE NO CHOICE.
And that's why Astro doesnt see the need to do anything about the complaints that have been coming in for YEARS over the same problem - WHY CANT WE VIEW ANYTHING WHEN ITS RAINING?
And you're thanking us for our loyalty? Trust me, if we had a choice, you wouldnt be spending part of your profits on airtime thanking us.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
PDRM (Polis Diraja Malaysia)
And I’m NOT going to write about the amount of transparency going on and the amount of bribes taken.
I went to the police station a couple of weeks back to report an accident. The details of the accident are really not necessary at this juncture as I'm only looking at the attitude of our policemen.
First, we went to the police station near Wangsa Maju. They tell us then that that was the crime unit and that we couldnt make traffic reports there? Question: WHY NOT? Dont you guys have a system that allows people to make reports at any police station? Are you saying that if my necklace got snatched, I would only be able to make a report at the crime unit and not at any other branch, not taking into consideration the proximity?
When we actually go make the report (at another branch nearer Ampang Point), we note that there isnt any paking and the police station looks more like a drug haven than a respite for the public. In fact, the original personnel were having problems showing us on the map where the traffic unit was.
This station is unlit with a group of young mat rempits hanging around outside and the place looks like it hasnt been refurbished in aeons.
When we go in, all the officers either cant speak English or know enough to say hi and bye. They type slowly, we had to draw the map to show the place of the accident and they generally permeated an air of indifference and apathy - like they were just making reports and thats where their job ended.
After making the first report, we had to go see another lady, who was busy watching tv, and stopped only when we went in. The first thing we noticed was that she had all her rings, bracelet and watch on the table and was busy rubbing some lotion on her hands. The next thing we noticed was that she had a whole side table full of food and drinks, including kuih raya. The point - she looked like SHE HAD THE WHOLE DAY TO HERSELF! And we even noticed this at the first police station where there were 5 people and only 2 were talking to us. I mean, how can these stations be so overstaffed when there is crime happening daily?
After making the second report to this lady who had all the time in the world, she asked us to bring the car over for a photograph and she asked us to collect the report on the next working day.
I mean, this is crazy. They have all the time in the world to eat, drink and be merry when their services are needed elsewhere!
And to top it all off, its all over the news that the police unit in one of the more notorious areas in KL was relocated. How are they supposed to protect when they're the first to run?
I went to the police station a couple of weeks back to report an accident. The details of the accident are really not necessary at this juncture as I'm only looking at the attitude of our policemen.
First, we went to the police station near Wangsa Maju. They tell us then that that was the crime unit and that we couldnt make traffic reports there? Question: WHY NOT? Dont you guys have a system that allows people to make reports at any police station? Are you saying that if my necklace got snatched, I would only be able to make a report at the crime unit and not at any other branch, not taking into consideration the proximity?
When we actually go make the report (at another branch nearer Ampang Point), we note that there isnt any paking and the police station looks more like a drug haven than a respite for the public. In fact, the original personnel were having problems showing us on the map where the traffic unit was.
This station is unlit with a group of young mat rempits hanging around outside and the place looks like it hasnt been refurbished in aeons.
When we go in, all the officers either cant speak English or know enough to say hi and bye. They type slowly, we had to draw the map to show the place of the accident and they generally permeated an air of indifference and apathy - like they were just making reports and thats where their job ended.
After making the first report, we had to go see another lady, who was busy watching tv, and stopped only when we went in. The first thing we noticed was that she had all her rings, bracelet and watch on the table and was busy rubbing some lotion on her hands. The next thing we noticed was that she had a whole side table full of food and drinks, including kuih raya. The point - she looked like SHE HAD THE WHOLE DAY TO HERSELF! And we even noticed this at the first police station where there were 5 people and only 2 were talking to us. I mean, how can these stations be so overstaffed when there is crime happening daily?
After making the second report to this lady who had all the time in the world, she asked us to bring the car over for a photograph and she asked us to collect the report on the next working day.
I mean, this is crazy. They have all the time in the world to eat, drink and be merry when their services are needed elsewhere!
And to top it all off, its all over the news that the police unit in one of the more notorious areas in KL was relocated. How are they supposed to protect when they're the first to run?
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Potholes along and off Jalan P Ramlee
In fact, this is not new. But there is this HUGE hole (which is also quite deep) just off Jalan P Ramlee, which has not been sealed up for months now.
Which is quite unacceptable as there a couple of constructions going on there. Whats the point of paying road tax when all the money is being siphoned off into some undeserving pockets and we end up paying more to send our cars for alignment and balancing?
In fact, speaking to one of my friends about working in KL, the only thing he said is that we end up getting USED to traffic jams and potholes and learn how to avoid them. But WHY should we learn to avoid them when they are not even supposed to be there in the first place?
Which is quite unacceptable as there a couple of constructions going on there. Whats the point of paying road tax when all the money is being siphoned off into some undeserving pockets and we end up paying more to send our cars for alignment and balancing?
In fact, speaking to one of my friends about working in KL, the only thing he said is that we end up getting USED to traffic jams and potholes and learn how to avoid them. But WHY should we learn to avoid them when they are not even supposed to be there in the first place?
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Shell attendants
I had to fuel up my car in Sungai Besi at some point in the last few days, and as usual, I gave the attendant at the window my money as well as my Bonuslink card.
Now I know that the black strip behind my Bonuslink card is spoilt (it cant be swiped), cos where I fuel up regularly, the lady at the cashier always keys the numbers in after having tried to swipe my card a few times.
Anyway, so when I was at Sungai Besi, I just gave him RM50 and my Bonuslink card, and I waited for him to return the card to me. He swiped it once, I heard the beep (of rejection :-), and he tried to swipe it twice after that. After the thrid try, I expected him to start keying in the digits on my card, but he just returned the card to me.
I then asked him, "arent you going to key in the numbers into your system?" And thats when he took the card back and started keying them in. Can you believe it?
If it someone none the wiser, or someone not actually concentrating on the transaction and just trusting the cashier to "do the right thing", boy, would they be sorely disappointed!
So do we only do something right when someone is watching? And take advantage of people who dont know any better?
Now I know that the black strip behind my Bonuslink card is spoilt (it cant be swiped), cos where I fuel up regularly, the lady at the cashier always keys the numbers in after having tried to swipe my card a few times.
Anyway, so when I was at Sungai Besi, I just gave him RM50 and my Bonuslink card, and I waited for him to return the card to me. He swiped it once, I heard the beep (of rejection :-), and he tried to swipe it twice after that. After the thrid try, I expected him to start keying in the digits on my card, but he just returned the card to me.
I then asked him, "arent you going to key in the numbers into your system?" And thats when he took the card back and started keying them in. Can you believe it?
If it someone none the wiser, or someone not actually concentrating on the transaction and just trusting the cashier to "do the right thing", boy, would they be sorely disappointed!
So do we only do something right when someone is watching? And take advantage of people who dont know any better?
KFC
Malaysians eat a lot of fast food right? In fact, everytime we dont feel like taking our fat asses off our (un)comfortable swivel chairs, we order in. And who delivers? McDonalds, Dominos, Canadian Pizza. Well, mostly fast food chains. Which means there should be enough food to meet the demand of orders on hand as well as delivery.
KFC, unfortunately, diappointed twice in the last week. Which is a lot seeing that we have many other food options nowadays.
First, we went to the KFC near Central Market. After lining up for more than 20 minutes, we get to the top of the line, and the cashier informs us that there's no more chicken and that we need to wait 20 minutes for it. I wasnt fussy at first and opted for a Cheesy Meltz instead. And horror of horrors, that was sold out too. What do you think we did? We went to the McDonalds abt a 3 minute walk away.
The second incident was another KFC outlet (location withheld to protect the privacy of certain parties who live around that area). The same thing occurred too. There was no more chicken and apparently we had to wait another 20 minutes. The best part? One of the staff was chatting out of the kitchen area.
And this outlet even had pictures on their notice board - photos of KFC staff frying chicken and standing at the cashiers' with a smile, etc. I mean, what is the point having rows and rows of pictures of chicken when you run out of the real stuff to serve customers with?
KFC, unfortunately, diappointed twice in the last week. Which is a lot seeing that we have many other food options nowadays.
First, we went to the KFC near Central Market. After lining up for more than 20 minutes, we get to the top of the line, and the cashier informs us that there's no more chicken and that we need to wait 20 minutes for it. I wasnt fussy at first and opted for a Cheesy Meltz instead. And horror of horrors, that was sold out too. What do you think we did? We went to the McDonalds abt a 3 minute walk away.
The second incident was another KFC outlet (location withheld to protect the privacy of certain parties who live around that area). The same thing occurred too. There was no more chicken and apparently we had to wait another 20 minutes. The best part? One of the staff was chatting out of the kitchen area.
And this outlet even had pictures on their notice board - photos of KFC staff frying chicken and standing at the cashiers' with a smile, etc. I mean, what is the point having rows and rows of pictures of chicken when you run out of the real stuff to serve customers with?
Sunday, September 14, 2008
The Maju Expressway
So I took the Maju Expressway from Bukit Jalil to KL the other day and the toll is RM1.50 right? I gave the toll operator RM10, expecting a change of RM8.50.
Unfortunately, I didnt check the change when she gave it to me, cos there were a few other cars behind and it was all in RM1 change. When I actually had the time to count it out, it was RM1 short!
I mean, I've never encountered this before. Usually toll booth operators are just about the most honest people I know, simply because they know that not many people check the change in hand before speeding off, and yet they dont take advantage of it.
But there's always a first right? :p
Unfortunately, I didnt check the change when she gave it to me, cos there were a few other cars behind and it was all in RM1 change. When I actually had the time to count it out, it was RM1 short!
I mean, I've never encountered this before. Usually toll booth operators are just about the most honest people I know, simply because they know that not many people check the change in hand before speeding off, and yet they dont take advantage of it.
But there's always a first right? :p
Thursday, September 4, 2008
TM leaves a lot to be desired..
I finally subscribed to Streamyx when I found that Maxis' broadband wasnt that great in Seremban. What happened after that was unbelievable.
I got Streamyx in a box at an authorized TM outlet in Tesco. The girl who sold it to me told me that the account would be activated in 3 days and that if I had any problems, I could call her. After the 3rd day, I still wasnt able to connect to the Internet, but when I called her to see what was wrong, she refused to answer the phone.
So I called TM, and someone told me that the line would only be activated in a week. Misinformation! I waited for a week, and got a call from TM saying my line had been activated. However, I still couldnt get connected. To cut a long story short, I spent half a day at a TM Point centre, made countless phone calls for hours on end, spoke to about 6 different people including a manager and my woes were only resolved over a period of a week, after countless incidences of misinformation.
The problem was that my computer wasnt in sync with the ISP and a customer service agent finally helped me resolve it. I also asked him to explain a few issues to me in the process, one of which was a problem with the splitter. And apparently, most splitters from TM malfunction. Even new ones that come with a new "streamyx in a box".
Well, after the explanations, resolution and a visit by TM's technician, I was a pretty satisfied customer. The problem was when I wanted the bill adjusted.
TM told me that my account was activated on the 19th. However, I wasnt able to use the Internet connection til everything was resolved which was on the 30th. So I wrote to TM to ask for an adjustment of the bill, so that it reflects a rebate from the period of 19-30, as I wasnt able to use the it.
However, when I wrote to TM to ask for an adjustment, their reply was ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS. According to them, "With reference to your rebate request for your Streamyx account, upon checking with our technical department we found that you unable to make connection were due to your dysfunctional or faulty of your equipment (splitter). We regret that we are unable to provide a rebate as the proper function of your equipment is beyond our control. A dysfunctional or faulty of your equipment has to be checked upon and rectified by the customer himself."
My reply to them was "Thank you for your feedback. However I cannot accept your explanation given below. If the splitter is dysfunctional or faulty, you have only yourselves to blame, as I am a new customer and the splitter that I received is
directly from TM. Are you implying that you give your customers faulty splitters and refuse to take responsibility for it?"
And they come back with,
QUOTE:
"We refer to your query we understand your frustration regarding this matter. However our technical has been assigned to your premise and according to their investigation, once again we regret that we unable to propose the rebate as they have confirmed that the problem due to customer equipment faulty (splitter). Please note for customer equipment is customer responsible even though it done or provided by our technical.
Please be informed that the proper function of customer equipment and internal wiring are beyond our control. Customer equipment has to be checked upon and rectified by the customers themselves. This is as stated in Clause 12.1:
12.1 The Customer shall:
x. provide basic infrastructure for installation of the Leased Equipment including but not limited to internal wiring and in the event that the Customer is not leasing the Leased Equipment from TM, the Customer shall be responsible for purchasing the equipment at his own cost to enable connectivity of the Service;
Unfortunately, this reason is not a valid reason for us to grant a rebate as it is the responsibility of customers to assure these actions are done to ensure that the equipment at your premise is in proper working condition.
We truly apologize for any inconveniences caused. Nevertheless, we would like to express our highly appreciation for your patience and understanding.
UNQUOTE.
Now isnt this bloody ridiculous?
NEW ADDITION -> sent dated 6/Oct
QUOTE:
Thank you once again for bringing this matter to our attention.
We write in response to your request dated xxxx 2008 pertaining to the matter above.
We refer to your query we understand your frustration regarding this matter. However our technical has been assigned to your premise and according to their investigation, once again we regret that we unable to propose the rebate as they have confirmed that the problem due to customer splitter faulty. Please note for splitter faulty is customer responsible even though it done by our technical.
Please be informed that the proper function of customer equipment and splitter faulty are beyond our control. Customer equipment has to be checked upon and rectified by the customers themselves.
We would like to inform you that rebate can be considered to be proposed only for the several reasons:
i) Failure of connection is from our side.
ii) Failure of connection took about more than 6 days continuously.
iii) Report has been lodged at our call center 100.
Unfortunately, this reason is not a valid reason for us to grant a rebate, as it is the responsibility of customers to assure these actions are done to ensure that the equipment at your premise is in proper working condition.
We truly apologize for any inconveniences caused. Nevertheless, we would like to express our highly appreciation for your patience and understanding.
For further assistance or feedback, kindly e-mail us at: help@tm.com.my.
Alternatively, you may also contact TM at 100 and select "Internet Services".
UNQOUTE.
What high patience and understanding are these idiots talking about? If you cant, do it (and especially when its your fault), dont insult the customer by thanking us for our patience and understanding. And to top it all of, I can contact them at 100 for further assistance and feedback? Havent I done that and look what came out of it.
I got Streamyx in a box at an authorized TM outlet in Tesco. The girl who sold it to me told me that the account would be activated in 3 days and that if I had any problems, I could call her. After the 3rd day, I still wasnt able to connect to the Internet, but when I called her to see what was wrong, she refused to answer the phone.
So I called TM, and someone told me that the line would only be activated in a week. Misinformation! I waited for a week, and got a call from TM saying my line had been activated. However, I still couldnt get connected. To cut a long story short, I spent half a day at a TM Point centre, made countless phone calls for hours on end, spoke to about 6 different people including a manager and my woes were only resolved over a period of a week, after countless incidences of misinformation.
The problem was that my computer wasnt in sync with the ISP and a customer service agent finally helped me resolve it. I also asked him to explain a few issues to me in the process, one of which was a problem with the splitter. And apparently, most splitters from TM malfunction. Even new ones that come with a new "streamyx in a box".
Well, after the explanations, resolution and a visit by TM's technician, I was a pretty satisfied customer. The problem was when I wanted the bill adjusted.
TM told me that my account was activated on the 19th. However, I wasnt able to use the Internet connection til everything was resolved which was on the 30th. So I wrote to TM to ask for an adjustment of the bill, so that it reflects a rebate from the period of 19-30, as I wasnt able to use the it.
However, when I wrote to TM to ask for an adjustment, their reply was ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS. According to them, "With reference to your rebate request for your Streamyx account, upon checking with our technical department we found that you unable to make connection were due to your dysfunctional or faulty of your equipment (splitter). We regret that we are unable to provide a rebate as the proper function of your equipment is beyond our control. A dysfunctional or faulty of your equipment has to be checked upon and rectified by the customer himself."
My reply to them was "Thank you for your feedback. However I cannot accept your explanation given below. If the splitter is dysfunctional or faulty, you have only yourselves to blame, as I am a new customer and the splitter that I received is
directly from TM. Are you implying that you give your customers faulty splitters and refuse to take responsibility for it?"
And they come back with,
QUOTE:
"We refer to your query we understand your frustration regarding this matter. However our technical has been assigned to your premise and according to their investigation, once again we regret that we unable to propose the rebate as they have confirmed that the problem due to customer equipment faulty (splitter). Please note for customer equipment is customer responsible even though it done or provided by our technical.
Please be informed that the proper function of customer equipment and internal wiring are beyond our control. Customer equipment has to be checked upon and rectified by the customers themselves. This is as stated in Clause 12.1:
12.1 The Customer shall:
x. provide basic infrastructure for installation of the Leased Equipment including but not limited to internal wiring and in the event that the Customer is not leasing the Leased Equipment from TM, the Customer shall be responsible for purchasing the equipment at his own cost to enable connectivity of the Service;
Unfortunately, this reason is not a valid reason for us to grant a rebate as it is the responsibility of customers to assure these actions are done to ensure that the equipment at your premise is in proper working condition.
We truly apologize for any inconveniences caused. Nevertheless, we would like to express our highly appreciation for your patience and understanding.
UNQUOTE.
Now isnt this bloody ridiculous?
NEW ADDITION -> sent dated 6/Oct
QUOTE:
Thank you once again for bringing this matter to our attention.
We write in response to your request dated xxxx 2008 pertaining to the matter above.
We refer to your query we understand your frustration regarding this matter. However our technical has been assigned to your premise and according to their investigation, once again we regret that we unable to propose the rebate as they have confirmed that the problem due to customer splitter faulty. Please note for splitter faulty is customer responsible even though it done by our technical.
Please be informed that the proper function of customer equipment and splitter faulty are beyond our control. Customer equipment has to be checked upon and rectified by the customers themselves.
We would like to inform you that rebate can be considered to be proposed only for the several reasons:
i) Failure of connection is from our side.
ii) Failure of connection took about more than 6 days continuously.
iii) Report has been lodged at our call center 100.
Unfortunately, this reason is not a valid reason for us to grant a rebate, as it is the responsibility of customers to assure these actions are done to ensure that the equipment at your premise is in proper working condition.
We truly apologize for any inconveniences caused. Nevertheless, we would like to express our highly appreciation for your patience and understanding.
For further assistance or feedback, kindly e-mail us at: help@tm.com.my.
Alternatively, you may also contact TM at 100 and select "Internet Services".
UNQOUTE.
What high patience and understanding are these idiots talking about? If you cant, do it (and especially when its your fault), dont insult the customer by thanking us for our patience and understanding. And to top it all of, I can contact them at 100 for further assistance and feedback? Havent I done that and look what came out of it.
Monday, September 1, 2008
KTM Services
I was at the Seremban KTM Station last Saturday, and I had a video shoot for some Dutch tourism students who were doing a video of young people in Malaysia. I was invited by one of my friends and the place to meet was at some cafe off Jalan Raja Chulan.
With the petrol price as it is at the moment, I decided to take public transport (PT). Bad decision. PT would mean taking the Komuter from Seremban to KL Sentral (1 hour 20 mins), taking a 5-min walk to the Monorail station, waiting for the monorail (another 5 mins), the ride from KL Sentral to Jalan Raja Chulan (15 mins) and a 5-min walk to the cafe. All of which would take me to the venue at about 3.30 (the time I needed to be there). A perfect fit if I got on the 1.38 train from Seremban.
You know how when ur overseas, you can time your meetings, classes, dates, etc. to the dot cos of the punctuality of the PT system? Malaysia? Forget it. Over my dead ass.
Anyway, I drove to the KTM station, which is about 15 mins away from my house. I got there at about 1.30pm, and the machine spitting out parking tickets was out of order, and there was a sign saying "collect your receipts at the exit booth". So i went in, parked, got out of my car and walked towards the ticket counter.
Now there are 2 automated ticket machines and 2 counters being manned. Unfortunately, the machines were (almost) out of order (as in once you choose your destination, the price comes up, but when you try slotting money in, it keeps getting rejected). And pretty much everyone knows that these machines have been malfunctioning like forever.
So there is a queue for tickets at the counters being manned, but lo and behold, only 1 counter was open, DESPITE the queue for tickets being about 30 people long. I joined the queue at about 1.35. The train was already there, ready for take-off at 1.38, and with the level of speed of service by the one person at the counter, I missed the train.
And was I surprised? Oh no. Not at all. I did think of taking the next train which was supposed to be at 1.58, but doing math for the PT system here never works, so I called it off.
In fact, PT was a mess the whole of last week, one of the reasons being the Independence Day parade's rehearsals, where some of the roads were closed and more people chose PT. Half the people I knew got to work late.
And the government wonders why there's such a brain drain in the country!
With the petrol price as it is at the moment, I decided to take public transport (PT). Bad decision. PT would mean taking the Komuter from Seremban to KL Sentral (1 hour 20 mins), taking a 5-min walk to the Monorail station, waiting for the monorail (another 5 mins), the ride from KL Sentral to Jalan Raja Chulan (15 mins) and a 5-min walk to the cafe. All of which would take me to the venue at about 3.30 (the time I needed to be there). A perfect fit if I got on the 1.38 train from Seremban.
You know how when ur overseas, you can time your meetings, classes, dates, etc. to the dot cos of the punctuality of the PT system? Malaysia? Forget it. Over my dead ass.
Anyway, I drove to the KTM station, which is about 15 mins away from my house. I got there at about 1.30pm, and the machine spitting out parking tickets was out of order, and there was a sign saying "collect your receipts at the exit booth". So i went in, parked, got out of my car and walked towards the ticket counter.
Now there are 2 automated ticket machines and 2 counters being manned. Unfortunately, the machines were (almost) out of order (as in once you choose your destination, the price comes up, but when you try slotting money in, it keeps getting rejected). And pretty much everyone knows that these machines have been malfunctioning like forever.
So there is a queue for tickets at the counters being manned, but lo and behold, only 1 counter was open, DESPITE the queue for tickets being about 30 people long. I joined the queue at about 1.35. The train was already there, ready for take-off at 1.38, and with the level of speed of service by the one person at the counter, I missed the train.
And was I surprised? Oh no. Not at all. I did think of taking the next train which was supposed to be at 1.58, but doing math for the PT system here never works, so I called it off.
In fact, PT was a mess the whole of last week, one of the reasons being the Independence Day parade's rehearsals, where some of the roads were closed and more people chose PT. Half the people I knew got to work late.
And the government wonders why there's such a brain drain in the country!
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