The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has said receipts from authorized cash registers are acceptable as official proofs of transactions. But BIR should tell establishments to get machines that issue receipts that remain readable for a long time instead of those that fade after a couple of weeks or so, leaving only a few black dots here and there.

You cannot even use the receipts if you want to join BIR’s Premyo sa Resibo raffle because all the information required has disappeared. The problem gets worse if you need to avail of the warranty on some appliance or gadget. You can hardly read when and where you bought the item.

I suggest that you ask for formal receipts where important information is handwritten if you need to show proof of purchase much later. Or you can do what people often do with faxed messages. As faxes also fade after a short while, they immediately make Xerox copies of, or scan important faxes for their files.

Feedback

Last week’s item on taxi drivers has gotten very interesting feedback.

Rose Desiree Carpio says she has also been in taxis where drivers claim they are unable to issue receipts because the meter is out of paper. She says even drivers from reputable companies like Basic also use the same excuse.

Carpio says she tried to bring up this matter with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) but “the File a Complaint page in its website does not seem to work. I know my complaint is petty compared to the other issues in our transportation industry, but I hope our government institutions will still be responsible.”

Shelby Payne says he has brought his complaints about drivers’ failure to use their meters or refusal to convey a passenger to his/her destination because “traffic is bad or their meters don’t work” to the Land Transportation Office (LTO). But, aside from having to go to the LTO office just to check on the status of the complaint, the driver is let off the hook after saying a simple “Oh sorry, I won’t do that again” or the issue is reduced to “he said-he said” since the passenger cannot offer any proof of the offense.

“Why can’t MMDA (Metro Manila Development Authority) step in to help passengers take action against erring and rude drivers?”

Payne says there should be no reason to deny service to a passenger, meters should be working properly, and passengers should get their change unless they want to tip the driver.

Robby Decena offers information that is completely new to me. It seems the MGE Taxi company has a policy to refuse passengers carrying fresh seafood. Decena says he found out about the policy when, coming from a grocery, an MGE cab refused to take him to his destination because he had fresh meat and chicken in his shopping bags. Decena says he called up the taxi company and talked to a Cynthia Balboa, who said the policy applied to fresh seafood only.

Decena says he suggested to Balboa to make sure their cabs have signs that make the policy clearly visible to passengers. I would add that MGE taxis should not wait in line near supermarkets, groceries, and public markets if they are not supposed to carry fresh produce.

Decena also mentions that some cabs smell of smoke but drivers claim the culprits are hard-headed passengers. If, indeed, passengers refuse to follow the no-smoking rule in public utility vehicles, what can drivers do? Will they get help from a policeman or traffic enforcer?

Speaking of smoking, I suggest that Makati Mayor Jun Binay assign smoking monitors, or whatever, on J . Rizal near the Puregold Supermarket. Jeepney drivers and passengers seem to think Makati has suspended the smoking ban.

Send letters to The Consumer, Lifestyle Section, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 1098 Chino Roces Ave. cor. Mascardo and Yague Sts., 1204 Makati; fax 8974793/94; or e-mail [email protected].