the cab driver dropped me at the domestic flight airport by mistake.
i was just wondering why my flight back to Singapore was not on the screen when this fella, dressed in the airport staff uniform, came up to me and asked "can i help you". of course, he could. i was lost, and he was airport staff.
or so i thought.
i thrust him my ticket, he took my luggage for me ("ah finally. chivalry.") and we proceeded to the nearest counter. no wait, he walked so fast that i had to gallop behind him with my hand carry and laptop bag just to keep at least 2 metres away from him.
anyway, we reach the check-in counter and thats when i begin to realise something was wrong. all the other airport staff at the counter took a look at him and waved him away, until one of the ladies there took my ticket from him, turned to me and said "international flight!"
immediately my helper looked horrified, and said "international?!" like i had done him some grave misdeed, grabbed the ticket from the lady at the counter and was off again, leaving me to chase after him.
all the while i was thinking to myself: "this is it. if this guy can't read the english words on my ticket he's definitely not staff, and i'm going to get either robbed, killed, or both." i searched for police while following him (he had my luggage, ticket and passport) but couldn't find any. "nevermind, there'd definitely be police at the international airport," i thought.
but we never made it there. he led me to this long and deserted corridor, pointed to the end of it, and said, "international airport, there! now you give me 100yuan!"
shite. i told him i had no money, but he insisted that i give him the hundred. two girls walked by, and seeing what happened, stopped to watch.
i kept saying that i didn't have money, but he kept insisting that i give him money. after a while i began to get paranoid that he'd pull out a knife or hurt either me or the other girls, so i took out my wallet and handed him a 20. he started to get really agitated and kept saying "100! 100!" so i gave him another 20, grabbed my ticket, passport and luggage from out of his hands and ran.
what. dumb. luck. yes, i'm grateful that i'm still alive, but seriously, could i get any more suay? i was so mad, and had every intention to tell the policeman at the international airport, until i realised a) i can't remember his face (he kept it away from me till the end), and b) who knows, the policeman may be a dirty cop?
grrrr.
The Bestfriend was appalled that i actually bargained with my potential rapist/murderer. Shopaholic Girlfriend agreed with her. maybe it was because i knew he was gonna ask me for money, so i wasn't at all surprised when it happened. truthfully, i wasn't thinking about the money at that point of time, but how he had fooled me, and i had bloody hell fallen for it.
in any case, i guess 40 yuan isn't much, considering i possibly paid for my life.