Friday, April 3, 2009
:) My Ugly MRT rides
current mood: short-lived-happiness
At 19 years of age, I reckon that I have had my most decent share of the ugliest MRT rides in Singapore.
On and about 7.45 AM last week, I was in the train that was headed to Jurong East. The train was packed with people who left their minds on their bed, only dragging their bodies with purposes of going to work, school and God knows where. I was standing by the door, cramped at the edge that I could feel the twitching muscle of the lady in front. Train rides in the morning is bad enough with the crowd pushing and shoving, still you or rather I have to endure the blissfully painful odor of that person who just fails to put on deodorant or perfume. I have no problems with the people who refuse to shower in the morning, but does it really hurt to roll on a nice scent before leaving your home?
The story then goes on; a young man was in the way of an older man. This led the older man rambling to the young man. Soon, they started debating. In a dialect that I could never understand, they were shouting to each other that the young man felt so provoked and pushed the older man out to the platform as older man was alighting. It did not stop there, the younger man then stepped out of the train to confront his now arch enemy. This sent my nerves to the brain and for once, I was wide awake. I was in the train, with only intentions to stop the fight but forgive me, I did not. Outside the train, on the platform of the station, the older man flung his tight writs across the face of the younger man. Only seconds had passed, the 2 men were now hitting each other on the faces, throwing unpleasant words and remarks to each other. The site was awful; it was a dispute over a silly matter and what made it worse, the young man wan about 25 and the older was about 65. Pretty ugly uh?
Then again, ugly does not even begin describing Singaporeans. Many of us, me included, fail to observe the simplest act of courtesy or kindness. We instill in our children, the younger generations, how important it is to rush to that one particular transport whilst pushing and shoving our way in despite the safety of anyone.
Here’s another story I’d love to share, about a woman with 2 children holding both on each sides of her hand. As the train was crowded with no space to spare, she pushed and shoved her way into the cabin with her children in her hands. She was in the cabin and realized that her son as he was still stuck in the crowd. This woman began pulling her son’s hand, out of no where the son appeared. Like mother, like son, you’ll see him shove his way to the crowd. It was only seconds before the door closes; the worried mother pulled the hand of her little boy. The crowd pushed him, his mother pulled him, he shoved his way in and moments later, his leg was stuck between the platform and the train. Passengers around him helped him up, just milliseconds before the door closes, he was up. This ungrateful child went in the cabin and he pushed the man that assisted him. I could only thank god that I saw nothing gruesome. But the next thing I knew I was infuriated. This mother and child then pushed their way in and DEMANDED for a seat. Ugly, guess so?
I have come to loath leaving the train at stations where Singaporeans fail to exercise the importance of ALLOWING US, passengers in the cabin, TO ALIGHT. “Give way to alighting passengers” – NOT. I found myself having to use foul language (after of course using the polite terms of “EXCUSE ME / PARDON ME” that again many Singaporeans fail understand) before I was out of the train.
Trust me I could go on longer ranting about this; but I reckon I head back to the dull life of mine. I always have MBF to rant too. He shares the same joy of ranting about public transport with me. Well, I rant, he listens. He reckons we, or rather I post complains and write to forums.
Dear UNO, how bout posting this at the forum? :)
Dear world, how bout exercising some form of courtesy the next time you’re out?
`fimaaa
❤ imperfectly written at 5:36 PM
