In light of the (not so) recent fiasco of Aunty vs. Ah Lian in the MRT, a topic has come to my mind.
Yes yes, that topic is selfishness. You can pat yourself on the back for your superior deduction skills.
I'm not very sure what went on - my brief knowledge of the situation consists of only this:
Ah lian was sitting in a reserved seat when aunty boarded the train. Unfortunately, ah lian did not notice that aunty had a prosthetic leg, and therefore did not think it necessary to give up her seat. Ah lian eventually found out and gave up her seat, but aunty was already all riled up and began ranting. She even took out her phone in an attempt to take photos of ah lian.
Something stands out from this whole er, misadventure.
Why was the aunty only angry at the ah lian, and not the others who also did not give up their seat?
Which leads us to another question - why is it that only people in reserved seats are expected to give up their seats for the elderly or disabled?
I think I have expressed this particular view here before, but I will say it again - should we not be taught to give up our seats to the needy, regardless of the fact of whether is it a "priority" seat or not?
Two people sitting side by side in an MRT, one in a priority seat and one not. Why should only the one in the reserved seat be deemed guilty for not giving it up?
Yes, if you are tired and have finally snagged a seat in the crowded train, you may feel resentful for having to give up your seat. It is not wrong (in the eyes of the law) if you do not give up your seat, but it is a clear mark of selfishness and inconsideration.
Very often I have come across people leaning on the poles, which leaves other commuters nothing to hold on for balance. I recommend a hefty dose of knuckle digging if you encounter this. More often have I seen people cutting the queues (MY QUEUE) of those waiting for the train during peak hours and not moving to the rear of the bus. Selfish, selfish, selfish. And inconsiderate.
People always say oh, Singapore is great. High quality of living, great healthcare, clean streets, and (for the most part) safe. But when it comes to the point when we need campaigns and advertisements and 8-year-olds writing poems to tell us how we should behave on the bus, it speaks a lot for the society and what kind of people we are.
