Your complaint -- too much!

The article you published in "By the Way ... " on Nov. 21, Cabeat emptor -- driver beware, made me very angry. Does this expat think he has written a funny story? (My stories always had to funny, otherwise they were shelved). Maybe some of the stories he told were true, albeit somewhat exaggerated in my opinion, but the story he really told was outrageous.

As an expatriate, Mr. Furney should know that he was riding in a cab in the middle of the night for Rp 5,100, about 73 U.S. cents. Where else in the world can you do that? He should be ashamed that he wanted to leave the cab with a debt, knowing that this cab driver may have been working for 18 hours to meet his target. As an expatriate he himself is earning many times this amount and a lot more than he would if he had stayed in his own country.

He reached home, probably after a pleasant evening partying with his friends. Should he have denied the cab driver the 100 rupiah and a tip?

After all, he reached home and could have gone in to get some small change, which was maybe lying around somewhere unnoticed by him because it had no value for him. He has given some good advice to prospective cab users and to cab companies, but I would like to add some good advice for Mr. Furney: 1. When you reach home and do not have enough money to pay for your cab, just tell the driver to wait and get some change. 2. If you are elsewhere, borrow some money and return it when you have been able to get some change. 3. Always have some change in your pocket or briefcase when you know you have to use a cab. You may also make some beggars happy with this change!

MYRA SIDHARTA

Jakarta