ON May 28, Facebook user Afifi posted what he had experienced several years ago while driving back from Kedah to Kuala Lumpur.
After refueling in Penang, he was approached by a Caucasian woman holding a piece of cardboard with the words “To Kuala Lumpur” written on it.
In his car was a friend and they decided to pick up the hitchhiker, but it turned out to be the most unpleasant long trip home.
Either she had not taken a bath for a long time or her clothes had not been washed, her stench was overpowering. Afifi swiftly opened the windows wide for ventilation.
He then began some friendly small talk but her replies were condescending, such as asking him whether he had ever heard of her country or even been overseas.
Afifi, who has travelled to 30 countries, recalled renting cars for weeks and had never resorted to hitchhiking for road trips.
Tired of such unpleasant exchanges, he decided to discontinue and switch on the music. But she complained it would disturb her sleep, and later said the car was hot and requested to close the windows and switch on the air-conditioning, and complained again when it was not cold enough.
After she fell asleep, it was quiet and peaceful until she woke up to complain that the sound from notification to his phone had disrupted her napping.
Having had enough, he then discussed with his friend to drop her off at the next toll plaza, but was advised against it.
She woke up before reaching the city and requested to be dropped off at a train station, and so she was driven to KL Sentral.
While getting off, there was not even a word of thank you from her. All I can say is that it serves as a good lesson, and who knows it could have been even worse.
In 1974, I picked up a young Caucasian couple in Penang and dropped them off in Kuala Lumpur.
Earlier, I made an overland tour for two foreign tourists to Penang driving a Holden Kingswood licensed as a limousine taxi and used as a tour car, and I was a tourist guide.
Tired of talking and familiar with tourists, the trip was silent from Penang until I reached Ipoh where I decided to treat them to lunch at the famous Lee How Fook restaurant. While dropping them off at Kuala Lumpur, they remained cautious, still unsure what my real intention was.
I had none and did not expect anything in return, only doing what I could to help. I did not need to be accompanied to drive long distances, and normally return to Kuala Lumpur the same day after sending tourists to Singapore or Penang, without spending overnight anywhere on the return trip.
It was no mean feat because it was along the old meandering trunk road full of bends where driving is slow behind lorries and overtaking is often risky, as the North-South Expressway had yet to be built. Then, I could drive very long hours without a break for toilet, tea or rest.
In 1996, while driving to Port Dickson, I noticed a couple with many children walking alongside the highway and stopped my car ahead of them.
I told the Indonesian-looking man that I could send them to the next town, but he nonchalantly requested a destination very much further away.
Sensing danger, I pretended that I had got out of the car to check for something kept in the boot, opened and closed the lid quickly, then drove away.
Walking along a highway in the middle of nowhere was just a ploy to trap motorists and take advantage of those who stopped to help.
In our daily life, we must be careful of those asking for favours, be they strangers, coworkers or neighbours. Some of them may be more scheming than you think.
They may start with small favours to condition your mind so that you will not think twice to help them again the next time.
It is also a trick used by scammers and con men by initially asking and returning something of low value as promised to gain your confidence.
Later, they will strike and disappear with something of much higher value, such as a considerable amount of money or not returning your car.
However, we ought to be kind and ready to give others a smile, be polite and remain courteous.
We should always try to be helpful and help whenever we can, without overextending ourselves or looking forward to being appreciated. Otherwise, we may live to regret it. ‒ June 3, 2025
YS Chan is master trainer for Mesra Malaysia and Travel and Tours Enhancement Course and an Asean Tourism Master Trainer. He is also a tourism and transport business consultant.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main image: Iluminasi
