Remember 'exceptional' Comfort cabby who wowed foreigner? Stomp Team finds out what he's like in person

It was a small gesture that he did not think much of, but one that left a deep impression on his passenger and tugged at the heartstrings of netizens.

Last Saturday morning (May 13), Stomper Daniel boarded a Comfort Taxi from Yishun to Pioneer, only to realise that he did not have his wallet with him.

But he need not have worried.

His driver Mr Tan Chin Heng, 65, not only let Daniel pay the fare of $24.85 another time, but even offered the latter another $30 for lunch in case he did not have money to eat.

The Stomper, a foreigner who has been working in Singapore for the past nine years, declined the kind gesture but commended Mr Tan's actions and hailed him as being 'exceptional' for going out of his way to help someone in need.

Daniel's account was widely shared on social media and picked up by print publications after it was posted on Stomp.

Netizens also praised Tan for giving taxi drivers as well as Singapore a good name.

The Stomp Team dropped by the ComfortDelGro office today (May 20) to interview Mr Tan.

Asked why he did what he did, an earnest Mr Tan said that it was a service and that he did not expect his newfound fame.

He had learnt about his feature on Stomp from his son, who showed him the article and said, "See, you have made it on to the Internet!"

Covering his face in good humour after being told about what netizens have been commenting about him, Mr Tan says he is still a 'little embarrassed' by all the attention.

He added that having been a taxi driver for 38 years, helping others was common in his line of work.

Once, he had picked up a passenger who had injured his leg and was using crutches.

The passenger's destination was a 7-Eleven store in Tampines Avenue 9 and Mr Tan chose to drop him off at a carpark where it would be more convenient for him to walk.

At the convenience store, the passenger was unable to make payment with his card and hence borrowed $20 from Mr Tan.

Mr Tan did so without a second's hesitation.

"If the passenger disappeared [without returning the money], then so be it," he said in Mandarin.

Asked on whether he has any advice for others when it comes to displaying kindness, Mr Tan simply replied, "Helping others is up to the individual and his or her own beliefs. There is no need to be told."

Thank you, Mr Tan, for being such an inspiration to us all!

See also:

Foreigner working in S'pore for 9 years on exceptional cabby: 'I've never experienced this much kindness'