SINGAPORE: As everyone knows, a little kindness, especially on hard days, can go a long, long way. A local taxi driver, however, went above and beyond the call of duty to treat each other with decency and made a TikTok user’s day.
Ok, he even offered to buy her an iPhone if he wins the lottery.
The woman, @iamsuzeynn on TikTok, told her story earlier this week in a post that has since gone viral.
@iamsuzeynn I felt my footwear was on the verge of breaking on my way to work the other day. I didn’t have time to change, so I decided to book a Grab instead of commuting. After waiting for 10 minutes, the driver canceled on me last minute.
Tried to hail a cab, but luck just wasn’t on my side. I ended up waiting close to 40 minutes before finally getting one. By then, I was already frustrated and emotionally drained.
I sat quietly in the backseat when the uncle driver picked up on my energy, he gently asked if I was okay. I kinda shared the little mishaps that piled up that morning, and before I knew it, tears started streaming down my cheeks. Nothing major, just overwhelmed by the frustration of waiting I guess. Uncle immediately panicked, “Aiyo, please don’t cry, my heart pain eh. Like I see my daughter cry.” “ Sometimes things don’t go smoothly as planned, but it’s okay, you just gonna have to let it go.” Then he tried to cheer me up by saying, “Don’t worry, I buy you you a nice meal! Tonight if I strike the Toto (lottery), I buy you iPhone 17, okay? I heard they release tomorrow”
I was cry-laughing at his attempt of consoling me. He made my day a little better. (I felt silly for being emotional that day. ) Sometimes, it’s the unexpected kindness from strangers that really stays with you. Thank you, Uncle. #morningmishaps #kindwords
She wrote that on the day when the cabby showed her kindness, she had felt that her shoes were about to break, and so she decided to book a Grab instead of commuting.
Unfortunately, her driver cancelled at the last minute after she had been waiting for some time.
After around 40 minutes, she was able to hail a cab, but by then she was “already frustrated and emotionally drained.”
Sensing her mood, the taxi driver “gently” asked her if she was ok.
The post author, a Filipina who is in Singapore for work, shared with him “the little mishaps that piled up that morning,” but perhaps to her own surprise, she began to cry. She admitted that it wasn’t because of anything big, but she had been feeling overwhelmed “by the frustration of waiting.”
The cabby uncle proved to be unusually sympathetic toward her.
She wrote that “Uncle immediately panicked,” and told her, “Aiyo, please don’t cry, my heart is in pain, eh. Like I see my daughter cry. Sometimes things don’t go smoothly as planned, but it’s okay, you’re just gonna have to let it go.”
Aside from those words of wisdom, he also “tried to cheer me up by saying, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll buy you a nice meal! Tonight, if I strike the Toto (lottery), I buy you an iPhone 17, okay? I heard they release tomorrow.”
His endeavour to console her made her “cry-laugh,” and she added that he made my day a little better.
“Sometimes, it’s the unexpected kindness from strangers that really stays with you. Thank you, Uncle,” she wrote.
Many commenters on the post shared their appreciation for the uncle’s kindness.
“This is a heartwarming interaction where he is trying his best to cheer up someone whom he considers his daughter,” one wrote.
“Awwww!! We do have many kind souls around!!” another added.
“I wish that everyone could be kind to one another, and make this world a beautiful place for all,” a TikTok user commented. /TISG
