Singapore woman ends stint as PHV driver after 1,400+ rides, removes decals from her Tesla

SINGAPORE: Earlier this week, a woman announced on social media that she was ending her work as a private hire vehicle (PHV) driver after more than 1,4000 rides, posting a photo of the PHV decals she removed from her car.

In a widely shared Facebook post, Michelle Lee shared the most important things she learned during the period she used her Tesla as a PHV, as it gave her “a front-row seat to humanity.”

“One thing I noticed quite early was how quickly we form assumptions about someone based on their job.

Quite a few passengers would get into my Tesla and casually ask, ‘How much do you pay to rent this cool car?’

When I said it wasn’t rented, the next question would usually be, ‘Oh, then how much is your monthly instalment?’,” she wrote, adding that when passengers found out that her car was fully paid for, they would ask why she was working as a PHV driver at all.

Her stint has made her respect full-time drivers a lot more, she added, noting that while she only drove around three to four hours a day; that was enough to tire her out.

“After a few hours, my brain would be exhausted.

Then there was the physical part. Sitting in the car for hours gave me backaches. There were periods when I had to go for massages more frequently because my back was so uncomfortable,” wrote Ms Lee, noting that some drivers work eight, 10, or even 12 hours.

This has caused her to never treat driving casually again, as it is never “just driving” but requires focus and concentration, dealing with all kinds of passengers, and trying to find them at confusing pick-up points.

Ms Lee also wrote about how difficult passengers can be, with some refusing to wear seatbelts or asking to make illegal stops, and others asking her to wait “because their time somehow mattered more than mine.”

What stands out most to her were the stories people shared.

“Passengers told me about their jobs, families, relationships, financial struggles, illnesses, dreams, and regrets. Some conversations lasted only 15 or 20 minutes, yet I still remember them today,” she wrote.

There were also kind, friendly, and respectful passengers whose small gestures meant a lot to her.

In the end, what caused her to stop working as a PHV driver was seeing accidents occur and almost being in accidents herself.

“So today, the decals finally came off. Looking at these crumpled stickers, I realised they represented a chapter of my life I never planned for, but one I’m grateful I experienced,” Ms Lee wrote.

In her next chapter, she will be working in money coaching, helping people build healthy financial lives.

Toward the end of her post, she wrote, “If there is one thing I hope people remember from all the PHV stories I’ve shared, it is this: Please be kind to your driver. Say hello. Wear your seatbelt. Don’t ask them to break traffic rules because you’re late. Don’t make them wait unnecessarily. Don’t take your bad day out on the person behind the wheel. And please don’t judge someone based on the job they do. PHV driving is honest work, and no one should be shamed or looked down on for being a driver.” /TISG

Read also: PHV driver/rider guide for Singaporeans: How being behind the wheel is killing you, and what you can do to stay alive and beat fatigue without hitting the brakes