Cabbies the world over are never slow to offer their opinions on the state of their country's economy and politics.
En route to meet Monetary Authority of Singapore officials and the country's finance minister Richard Hu, Euromoney encountered three taxi drivers who offered an instant snapshot of the population of this multi-racial republic, where ethnic Chinese, Malays and Indians coexistent - sometimes uneasily.
Business is just terrible, said the Chinese driver on the way to see Dr Hu, comparing the people of Singapore to a coiled spring. "But the harder you push the harder they will bounce back," he insisted.
He went on to provided character sketches of the senior figures - Dr Hu was quite a good bloke, he reckoned. "Ask him what is happening with our CPF money [Central Provident Fund] money," he instructed.
Having been assured by Hu that the CPF was intact, we jumped into another taxi, this time driven by an Indian gentleman.
"How's business?" we asked. "I only came on shift an hour ago," he replied, missing the point entirely.
Next to see the MAS with a young Malay at the wheel.