Journalists do it all the time (allegedly). Get some of their best information from taxi drivers, that is. So here, in honour of several entertaining conversations, are some of the thoughts of KL’s driving fraternity:

On language:

‘Malaysian language  is easy. Even stupid people can learn it in 5 months’.(Oh dear. That puts us in our place.)

On British politics:

We covered a lot of ground in a 15 minute trip. The conversation started – ‘English?’. (Either he was perceptive, or he made an educated guess when he picked me up outside the British High Commissiomer’s residence…) We moved on to economics: how many ringgits to the pound now? Times are hard, lots of foreigners are leaving because of problems in the oil and gas industry.  1997 was worse, though. And British politics  – now, England’s left Europe. And you’ve got a new Prime Minister – what’s the name?  Ah yes, May, Theresa May. (Modestly) I don’t know the names of your Prime Ministers. David Cameron was the last one. Oh and Margaret Thatcher, oh, liked Margaret Thatcher. Margaret Thatcher – Top Mem. (I decided not to share the results of the recent vote by Some historians, who voted Cameron the 2nd worst Prime Minister of recent years, and Margaret Thatcher the worst…)

On traffic: 

A Sumatran driver, who has lived in Kuala Lumpur for 33 years and driven a taxi here for 22, still can’t predict the traffic. ‘In the village yes, in KL no’. (No wonder the same journey can take us 15 minutes one day, and an hour the next. And no wonder we chose to live in the centre so we can walk to a lot of places…)

‘Motor bike riders aren’t afraid of anything. They don’t treasure their lives’ (I can believe that.  We’ve seen the most outrageous, dangerous manoeuvres. Wonder how many accidents they cause, to themselves and others?)

On international relations:

Mr Stanley opened the conversation the standard way:  ‘where are you from?’ And when we told him the UK: ‘Ah’ he said. ‘We are under one roof. Commonwealth country’.

(Mr Stanley again) on ethnic politics in Malaysia:

Mr Stanley (Malaysian of Chinese descent) got a 10 Sen discount at the toll booth. ‘ Ah yes, it’s Deepavali. They give discount at Muslim festivals.  So they say, you have to give at Indian festivals too’.

And on why taxi drivers talk:

One chatty gentlemen apologised for making conversation – ‘I am 30% less stressed when I can talk’. (Relaxed driver? Good!)