Taxi's in Kuantan

We have needed a cab once or twice since being in Kuantan and like beer these seem to be elusive when REALLY needed. The other night we were out and managed to get a flat tyre on the new rocket car. It then turned out we had been given a wheel brace for normal nuts and the car had "special" don't steal my tyre nuts so we were well and truly stuck. At the servo we managed to limp to the night orderly was very helpful and when I asked him if wheel stealing was common in Kuantan he replied

"It used to be ..... now they just take the whole car"

This was happening around 11pm and there was not a cab in sight. I walked a short distance to a restaurant which was filled and asked them to call a cab. Well there are no 1 3 numbers or taxi companies to call, you need to know a cabby. This is where it got slightly irritating. I was told a good dozen times to call a taxi and when I asked for a number I was given the look of derr don't you know one. Now it seems living in a town with few drinkers you don't have a need for cabbies late at night. They all shut down around 10pm.

One of the waiters of the restaurant ran us home in his little car which hiccupped and stalled its way up the Tembeling hill and when we got to the security guard we asked if he new a taxi number. We were given Mr Haran's name and number with a big cheesy thumbs up. This would be needed the next morning.

Meeting Mr Haran the next morning was great. A friendly chap who called a few ties to reconfirm times and places. The kids loved him and his red and yellow cab. First stop was school where the kids got out and when leaving school we got caught at an ugly intersection in Kuantan morning rush (its hardly busy though). Mr Haran creeped out a little and then realised he couldn't get through so needed to reverse a bit. This he did fine, no one behind us. The problem was he was too busy teaching Trev some Bahasa and telling us he was available any time of the day until 11pm except Friday's where he was busy at the mosque to notice he had left the car in reverse. The traffic had cleared and when he put his foot down he just about shat himself as the car lurched backwards.