Li Kwai-chung, 49, says the departure of three talk-show hosts is the latest sign Hong Kong is changing faster than he expected. Ride from Mei Foo to Wan Chai. Fare: $153.20 When I'm driving, I always listen to radio talk shows. I like them very much because I can learn more about current issues and listen to different opinions. I learn what people of different walks of life think and what direction they are heading. And gradually, I have formed my own points of view. I even once phoned in to a radio show to voice my opinion on a taxi-related issue. I felt it was my responsibility to do so because I am part of the sector. That was 10 years ago. I didn't like the way Albert Cheng King-hon commented on current issues. He was biased, fierce and subjective. I also didn't like Wong Yuk-man because he was like a crazy dog, barking all the time. Allen Lee Peng-fei was better. His analysis was more acceptable. His opinions were more diverse. However, he quit. It was his choice to quit - I support it if he faced pressure. It's true he did a great job in fighting for our rights. However, we can't ask him to carry on doing it for us while he's facing mounting pressures. It's not fair to him and his family. I think Hong Kong people should fight for their rights together. We should not depend on one or two people in the community to do it for us. Look at what happened last year. More than a half a million people took to the streets and demonstrated in the July march. That's what we should do. Hong Kong people should also cast their votes in September. I will also vote, just as I did in previous elections. One of my friends said the Democratic Party was turning Hong Kong into a mess. He said he would cast his vote in September just to oppose the Democratic Party. I found it very absurd. I think the Democratic Party is just doing what it believes in. It is fighting in the interests of Hong Kong people, really representing the people. To be honest, I'm pro-democracy. I think many taxi drivers share the same view. However, that does not mean I agree with everything the party has done. I believe the media has now become a political tool targeted by the government. When Cheng was on holiday, legislators were invited to be guest hosts, which gave them an opportunity to promote themselves on the airwaves. These radio talk shows have turned into a political tool. I don't feel sorry about Lee quitting. I think this is the direction Hong Kong is heading. The mainland is putting pressure on Hong Kong; it wants to change Hong Kong. This is the reality, so let's face it. Hong Kong is part of China now. Our interests are in the hands of mainland officials. That will definitely have an adverse effect on the media and the way we obtain information. Freedom of expression and speech will be gradually diminished. Our living standards will lower to a level that is comparable to the mainland's. I expected this to happen but didn't expect it would take place at such an early stage. I thought it would occur 20 years after the handover. However, I don't have much feeling about this because my life hasn't changed much. I'm not a politician, I'm not involved in politics. I'm just concerned about the place I'm living in. I still have to work from dawn until dusk, like many people in Hong Kong.
