Saturday, July 24, 2004
Disturbing Behaviour

All of us have travelled using the MRT before.Ok,that excludes you,Zoe Tay.And you,silver spoonists,who live at Bukit Timah District 10 with 6 Mercedes Benzs and 2 Porsches in your garage.But for the rest of us,heartlanders(I proudly proclaim myself as one,with no cars and an ezilink card),we have all,one time or another,encountered disgusting behvaior on the trains.People who are inconsiderate and persist on doing stuff which irritates the hell out of me.Yeah,just me.Anyway,I encountered another one this morning on the train and felt compelled to exact vengence on the rest of you.I'm innocent,you proclaim!Are you sure or not?I will,in the next few paras,start listing the whole series of species which inhibit this world-class travel commodity of ours.

Koala Bears: These are the people who stand near the handle posts near the doors but instead of just holding onto it with one hand to keep a balance,they have an inclination to hug the posts.Such that the rest of the people standing nearby cannot hold onto the posts for balance because our dear bear bears have clung onto the posts so tightly,it's like a python squeezing the life out of its prey.They really look like koalas.Anyway,so the rest of us are left to the mercy of the psychotic MRT drivers.You know how these drivers are.They're pranksters.Out of the blue,they perform their sudden brake party tricks and their unexplained sudden speed change manoeuvres.For goodness sake,bear bears,just using ONE hand will do.

Current Affairs Sifus: I so name them because there are certain people who INSIST on reading their newspapers on the trains even when it is rush hour traffic,particularly in the morning.They'd open up their tabloids or worse,broadsheets and start scrutinizing all the real important headlines.Therefore they must know a lot about current affairs and are sifus.Now I'm not denying them the right to read papers.I don't mind people who fold their papers up before reading it so it occupies less space.I am talking about rush hour traffic here.People are squeezed up neck to neck,body to body.There's no space to even move your feet.And these guys insist on reading papers.That's a body space there or at least an arm space there.Where it at least offers some personal space for people.You know how uncomfortable it can get getting all squeezed with people.I don't mind it particularly,especially when I am squeezed up next to a beautiful lass but I cannot speak for everyone.I am sure everyone wants a bit of space where possible.

Executive Conference Holders: This is particularly true of students.This whole big group of them,5 to 10,would board the train together and start forming a circle so that everyone in the group can participate in a good quality,wholesome discussion about girls or other people's shortcomings.The things is,these groups tend to congregate at the handle posts near the doors or at the doors.People who want to alight or board?Too bad,get past us.Worse still.Some of them insist on SITTING down on the floors in a group near the doors...ok,the ones on the opposite side which rarely opens.For people using the Braddell and City Hall stations.Well,too bad for them.Like the SIA long haul flight concept to the US,maybe we could set up a congregation area for these kids...on the tracks.

Blind Sitters: People who sit on seats where there is sign above them telling them that they might want to give up their seats for preganant ladies or the elderly,who then has a pregnant lady or elderly folk standing next to them,but has his butt superglued on the seat.So they pretend to be blind and do not see.I want to state a qualifier:It's true that some pregnant ladies appear to be rude and think it's their god-given right to a seat and doesn't even thank a person when he/she gives up a seat for said pregnant lady.Ditto some elderly folks.Fair enough that some people may feel not appreciated and think they should not give up their seats.Duh?You think NKF ah?Donate some money,get discount vouchers and maybe win a car.You do do out of civil consciousness,not because you expect a word of thanks.Getting a word of thanks is but a bonus,should not be a given.Or maybe some say they are just too tired.Duh?Are they Banglas?They work outside repairing roads and building houses,is it?Most of us are office workers here.Most pregnant ladies are no less.They should be just as tired,if not even more carrying more load.And old people?Need I say more?

Ok,I may have left out other irritating groups but that's all I have for the moment.So much ranting that I haven't even finished my breakfast.Could get indigestion.And yes,I didn't even mention Xiaxue in this post...