Toll Hike
Normally, only gaming stuff goes here. But this was discussed in my boardgaming forum and this is the first time I thought long and hard about what I’m posting, so I would like to share:
jack208: tis topic started by a very frustrated Padawan from Klang. So is the toll hike affecting your gaming activities? I shud prob add is the petrol price increase affecting your gaming too!
Lostboyz: You guys are lucky I guess. I unfortunately stay in Klang and work in Sri Petaling, so Kesas is the only way there.
Used to be RM1.50 x 3 x 22 x 2 = RM198/Month
Now its RM2.2 x 3 x 22 x 2 = RM290/Month!!! A RM100/Month hike in Toll expenses. Does it affects my gaming? In a way I guess, now I potentially lose RM1200/year of budget in buying boardgames.
If the service level of Kesas increased in lieu of the hike, I might not complain so much, eg. paying so much more = travelling time reduced, why not? But unfortunately I still see the same jam EVERY other day.
Imagine, if a boardgame cost RM200 on the average, some boardgame seller just lost potential 6 boardgames sale due to the toll hike.
Some people might say, who cares, I’m don’t travel on Kesas, I’m not affected. Then I’d suggest you read this and weep :
http://www.jeffooi.com/2007/01/for_whom_the_tolls_toll_2.php#comments
I’m not being political mind you, just being an average joe working on an average job day dreaming about whether will he get an increment of RM1200 to cover such crazy expenses…… Imagine.
ayheng: This is the problem with developing countries… blatant corruption. I’m sure a lot of the highway cost is bloated due to the need to pay off certain factors. Even China with all its chinese people suffer from it.. and is even accepted practice there! It’s not fair to blame the public highway companies as the only people who benefits are the public who buys shares in that company. The board still have a corporate responsibility to their shareholders.
What we can do now is to educate our children and support anti-corruption in small ways, like PAYING your speeding fines instead of bribing your way out of it, so that our future will be less corrupted.
Remember, when you’re in a developed country with no corruption, you are expected to behave this way as well. The government will be more transparent and fair, you will PAY 50% of your salary to TAX, and you will unfortunately still pay the same price for your TOLL fees due to risk factor in UNION safety laws and minimum wage laws and road safety laws. Part of our tax will go to support all the lazy bums who are ‘between jobs’ because it is not humane to let them starve. Transparency and safety regulations and environment laws and workers’ rights to ‘fair’ working hours will STILL make your daily goods prices go up.
However, the consolation we will have is that our currency will appreciate to be on par with US due to confidence in our system of governmance and we will get cheap boardgames for once.
Anyway, is our choice. We vote with our dollars. We either take the highway, or we don’t.
