They break the law under the noses of policemen！

2015/01/22 08:42:13 網誌分類: 生活

22 Jan

         Taxi drivers in the Lan Kwai Fong area openly break the law every weekend. They break the law under the noses of policemen who look the other way. These taxi drivers put up "out of service" signs but they are not really out of service. They block other traffic by illegally parking their taxis on the roads to wait for customers, or they drive very slowly around Lan Kwai Fong to look for customers. Lan Kwai Fong is full of mainland and foreign tourists on Friday and Saturday evenings. Many locals and westerners living in Hong Kong also go there on weekends.

         I live near the area and often see locals, westerners, and tourists trying to get taxis late at night but the drivers demand exorbitant (unreasonably high) fares instead of using their meters. On a Saturday evening last month, I saw a taxi driver demand $300 to take some tourists to Western district. I told a policeman who was nearby but instead of warning the driver, he argued with me and asked for proof. I told the policeman that if he opened his eyes he would see many taxi drivers with "out of service" signs illegally bargaining with customers over the fare. After arguing with the policeman for ten minutes I gave up and went home.

         Taxi drivers who pretend to be out of service but demand exorbitant fares are the scum of the earth who harm Hong Kong's image. The expression "scum of the earth" means the worst type of people. It comes from the word "scum" which means the layer of dirt that sometimes forms on the surface of liquids. The expression "under one's nose" means something happening right in front of a person but the person doesn't notice it. To look the other way means to deliberately ignore what is happening. When Assistant Police Commissioner Cheung Tak-keung came to my TV show last month, I told him taxi drivers break the law under the noses of policemen every weekend in Lan Kwai Fong but the policemen look the other way. He promised to take action but has done nothing so far.

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         每個周末，蘭桂坊的的士司機都在公然犯法。他們在警察眼皮底下（under the noses of）犯法，但那些警察卻願意視而不見（look the other way）。這些的士司機放上「暫停載客」的牌，卻不是真的暫停載客。他們非法在路上等客，或在蘭桂坊附近慢駛兜客，以致阻塞交通。蘭桂坊周五和周六晚滿是內地和外國遊客，許多在香港居住的本地人和洋人也會於周末前往。

         我在那兒附近住，不時會見到本地人、洋人和遊客嘗試於深夜時份截的士，司機卻索取高昂（exorbitant）車費，而非用咪錶。上月某一周六晚上，我就見過一名的士司機索取三百元，載遊客到西區。我告訴附近的警察，他非但沒有警告那名司機，倒跟我爭論要證據。我跟警員說，他睜開眼便能見到許多打着「暫停載客」牌的司機，都在非法跟乘客討價還價，索取更高車費。跟警員爭論十分鐘後我放棄了，乾脆回家去。

         那些裝作暫停載客，卻索取高昂（exorbitant）車費的的士司機，簡直是破壞香港形象的社會人渣（scum of the earth）。習語scum of the earth解作社會敗類，它來自scum這個字，即是液體表面的一層浮渣。習語under one's nose意思就是事情在某人的眼前發生而那人居然察覺不到。To look the other way即故意視而不見。當警務處助理處長張德強上個月來我的電視節目時，我告訴他蘭桂坊的的士司機每個周末就在警察眼底下（under the noses of）公然犯法，警員卻視若無睹（look the other way）。他承諾會行動，到現時為止卻甚麼也沒做過。mickchug@gmail.com

        中譯:七刻

        Michael Chugani 褚簡寧

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They break the law under the noses of policemen！

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