Free flowers, free decals & now, cabbies give free rides to people at Parliament House: 'This is the least I can do'
The death of Singapore's founding father Mr Lee Kuan Yew has united Singaporeans in a way that's rarely seen here.
Volunteers are handing out food and water to people queuing up to pay their last respects to the elder statesman. Reports show florists giving out free flowers for those heading to Parliament House.
Essentially, kindness abounds in the country this week.
Now, a photo uploaded on Facebook reportedly shows a taxi driver offering free rides to those who have just paid their tribute to Mr Lee at Parliament House.
The photo shows a printed piece of paper that says:
"As a humble gesture, I (would) like to give free taxi rides to all who have just paid their last respects and bid farewell to Mr Lee Kuan Yew from the Parliament House to any destination.
"I guess this is the least I can do, which is nothing compared to what he (has) done for us."
The post quickly went viral garnering more than 4,500 likes and over 650 shares.
Another taxi driver from Comfort and City Cab also didn't charge passenger Madam Leona Lee, 46, after he heard about her destination.
The IT analyst had called for a taxi at Changi on Thursday (March 26) and the cabby began talking about Mr Lee's achievements.
Madam Lee recalled:
"He mentioned that he was personally involved in the racial riots in the 60s and feared for his life. But Mr Lee Kuan Yew, together with his team, committed themselves to the idea of 'One United People' and changed the country."
The taxi driver was very emotional as he said: "Without him, we wouldn't be where we are."
When Madam Lee reached her destination, she handed him cash for the $19 fare.
But he refused to accept, telling her:
"This is my token of appreciation to Mr Lee.
"Help me say goodbye to him."
She told The New Paper: "I was just very touched because it was quite a lot of money to give up. It just shows the impact of Mr Lee on Singaporeans."
He cried for 30 minutes in carpark
Another cabby also touched the hearts of Singaporeans after a passenger posted their conversation online.
He had told the passenger, known as Tiffany, about how Mr Lee helped him as his MP in Tanjong Pagar GRC.
What amazed the cabby was how Mr Lee even remembered his constituent's name after meeting him just twice.
The man was so upset at news of his death that he sat in the carpark and cried for 30 minutes after seeing Mr Lee's gun carriage coming out from the Istana on TV on Wednesday.
He said:
"Too man people fought alongside Mr Lee Kuan Yew to build this country.
"He was not just a man. He is Singapore."
See the full Facebook post below.
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