I've officially started the second half of my last in-school semester for Mass Communication. I know, time is passing way too fast. But in the midst of my assignment and life (which is non-existent), I have a burning desire inside of me to write about something today. Oh, and my boyfriend is sleeping, so I'm pretty free.
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As the topic suggest, I hate hate hate hate humans. Well, particularly humans taking transport. Public transport woes are a common today, especially on Social Media. However, there is really only so much you can write in one tweet, or a Facebook post. More often than not, you can't describe how upset you are with humans.
So here I am, compiling my experiences and experiences of people I know. Here goes nothing! ((I do hope you find it relatable though))
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1. Children
Now, it's been made known that I absolutely, undeniably despise children. I know that I was once a children and they are adorable, and I love my niece. In fact, I think my parents or my generation was brought up pretty well as children. What I really despise, is Children TODAY.
Well, let's move back to Children on Public Transport. I remember back when I was a child, my mother would tell me to sit properly and not play around on the bus. We were not given "priority" to seats, despite my mother holding both my sister and I, with a lot of shopping bags. She often told me about how she had to stand on a crowded bus holding me, and my sister holding onto the handle of her bag.
I don't blame that. People are selfish. But I do know that my mom taught me well enough to not play around or make a fool of myself on the bus.
Yesterday, I was on the bus with my boyfriend. We were sitting in the 4-people booth facing the front. In front of us (facing the back, so directly facing us) was a mother with 2 children. She was carrying her daughter, and her son was sitting on a seat by himself. Throughout the half hour ride, her son was screaming loudly. ((it wasn't just to me, everyone in the bus was staring))
He wasn't in pain, crying, or miserable. He was laughing. Why did he scream? Because whenever he screamed, his mother would turn the attention from the daughter she was carrying to him, to ask him to keep quiet. He was probably bored and craved the attention. However, she did not go to extreme means like scolding or advising him. She merely told him to keep quiet.
I was chatting with my boyfriend over school happenings. The boy probably heard us because of the proximity, and started commenting on our conversation, as if he was a part of it. He started asking questions like "Why do you say that?", "Why he so funny?". I got so annoyed at one point, that I glared the mother and him down until he kept quiet.
Never mind that. I thought the mother merely did not know how to control children. Awhile later, the daughter started crying. ((God knows why)) Then, the mother slapped her and covered her daughter's mouth with her own hands. Why, she does know how to keep her child quiet! She just wasn't doing the same for her son, who was screaming for fun.
Bottom line? Keep your children in check, or wear a condom during sexual intercourse. Don't destroy the world by planting your off springs in this generation, if you don't intend to teach them basic manners and sense of shame.
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2. Priority Seats
I think priority seats speaks for more than 1 form of public transport - MRT and Bus. I know the standard priority seat tells you to sacrifice your seat for 4 different kinds of people:
a) Injured/Handicapped
b) Pregnant
c) People with children
d) Elderly
I completely agree with that, and maybe some others. For example, people who are carrying heavy stuff or people who are generally more frail.
However, let's make some things clear.
1) If you are a working adult in your 40-50s, you are not an elderly. When I mean elderly, I mean my grandparents. Old, frail grandparents who have weak legs. You are a working adult with perfectly working legs, you don't deserve priority.
2) Working adults DO NOT have priority over students. Working adults are the people who carry the society and economy of the country, you are able-bodied humans who should be able to stand through the ride.
If you have had a long day at work, we have had a long day at school. You start work at 8am, we start school at 7.30am (for primary/secondary school students). You are past your puberty ages, some of these students have not even gone through half of puberty. If you have a heavy handbag, we have school books and laptops. Your make-up pouch or accessories are NOT heavier than that. If you find it difficult to carry a handbag, carry a bag-pack. It gives you no excuse.
If you say you are weak, exercise more. You have the time to exercise. My mother, at 56 years old, with a 5.5 days working week, exercises 3 times a week. She cleans the house on her own. My father, at 53 years old, works 7 days a week. He plays football every week. You have no excuse.
Oh, and to the aunties out there, your groceries are not heavier than our laptops + school books either.
3) The seat beside the priority seat, is NOT a priority seat. Between every 2 doors in a MRT, there are 2 rows of chairs, 1 on each side. Each row have 2 priority seats, at the corner. That makes 4 priority seats between every 2 doors.
Just because the seat beside the priority seat is marked with a similar colour, it does NOT make that a priority seat. If you don't understand that, well that's too bad for you. Don't give people the glare when they are sitting in that seat.
4) Giving you a seat is politeness and courtesy, not your rights. Don't demand a seat from someone if you feel that you have priority. It is up to them to decide if they want to be kind or selfish. If they are selfish, then you're just having a bad day. Don't make a scene on the public transport network. You obviously do not have any sense of shame.
Oh the fourth point? I didn't experience that personally but I've had friends tell me that they witnessed that on the bus/train these days. How rude is that?
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3. Flagging a taxi
Flagging a taxi is different from public transport. But there are still certain annoying habits of Singaporeans that I absolutely cannot tolerate.
1) Give priority to people who came first.
In the case where there is no taxi stand ((the road beside my HDB flat)), always stand below the person who came first. If you have no means of standing below because you came from a block up above the road, try to look down the road and see if anybody is already standing there. If yes, don't flag the cab and let the cab drive past you to them first. If you can't see anything, then it's ok.
It's not about you "must" give it up, it's about being considerate to people who have been waiting for a long time. It does not matter if you're in a rush, more than them. Do you know how much of a rush they are in? If no, who are you to judge if you're in a bigger rush?
If you're catching a plane, leave home earlier. If you overslept and is rushing to school, wake up earlier next time. If you're late for work, leave home earlier or call a taxi. If you need to get to the hospital for an emergency, call a taxi. It's not difficult, you just have to try harder.
Luckily, taxi drivers are much smarter these days. Just a few weeks ago, I was waiting for a taxi to get to school. I wasn't in a rush and this adult couple came out on the road after I did. They stood a few metres above me, and was trying to flag a cab before me. However, the taxi came onto the road before they did. The taxi uncle stopped for them, and asked them where they were going. After a few seconds, he drove off and I flagged.
I waited for him to wind down the window to ask me the same. However, he didn't. He motioned me to board the taxi. So, I did. In the taxi, he then told me that he noticed that they were trying to "steal" my taxi, and decided to brush them off this way. #smarttaxiunclesontheroad
2) If you want to cut in line, you have to get the approval of everyone
More often than not, we face a long queue at taxi stands during peak hours. I myself have been caught in these long queue many times. Sometimes, you get the occasional aunties or adults trying to ask if they could cut in line because they are in a rush.
About a month ago, I was at the taxi stand at Clementi central. There was about 10 people in queue and I was the 5th or 6th person. This lady came and asked the 1st person if she could cut his/her queue, and the person rejected her. There, she went on to ask the 3rd person, who kindly agreed. This angered quite a few people in line, as I heard them complaining to their friends or other people in line.
If you want to cut in line of the 3rd person, you have to ask everyone beyond that. This is because, you are also cutting in line of their queue number. That was rude of her, to not ask. If the 8th person said no, you have to queue behind the 8th person. That, is basic courtesy.
Luckily for me, a taxi came immediately and asked if anyone was going to Telok Blangah. Since nobody in the line in front of me was going there/nearby, I boarded.
Which, brings me to my next point!
3) Let the person in front of you ask if their location is alright, first.
Sometimes, we get taxi drivers who only want to go to certain locations. This is usually due to the fact that they are changing shifts soon, and have to head towards that direction. People often, are not understanding of that. But, being the daughter of a taxi driver, I'd know better. If my father has to be in Woodlands at 5pm, why would he drive you to Pasir Ris at 4pm right? ((although my dad does not have shifts HAHAHAHA))
Well, what's important is that these taxi drivers usually wind down their window and ask the people in line if they are going somewhere nearby. Most of the time, the 1st person will be rejected. However, the priority to ask should be given to the 2nd person, not the 7th one.
I've seen adults in the queue, who are somewhere at the back, rush in front to ask about their location. The taxi drivers, in a rush, would accept and take them. However, that is very rude. Most of the time, taxi drivers would be placing generic locations. For example, Jurong East. You are not the ONLY one living near Jurong East and some people in the front of the queue may be going somewhere near there too. Give them the priority, don't be rude.
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4. Seats are meant for N number of people.
Why N? Because it's a number that changes, depending on the context.
Today, on the bus, I saw this seat which clearly states that it is for 1 adult and 1 children. This is usually a smaller seat than the normal 2-seater, situated at the front of newer buses.
A lady, around my age, sat on the inside seat. Not long after, an auntie boarded the bus and squeezed into that seat with her. I was pretty annoyed and I could see that the girl was uncomfortable. However, she was much too polite and squeezed in to ask her to get out, or to get out herself.
Firstly, that lady is not a children, and neither is the auntie. Secondly, the lady came first. Which means, she is the "adult" in the context. Unless you're a child below 12 years old ((or similar to that size, at least)), you shouldn't be in that seat beside her. The things some aunties would do for a seat.
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Anyway, that's about it for my transport woes. I have so much more but maybe I'll mention it next time instead. I can't wait to get my license and buy a car so I don't have to deal with these people anymore. But then again, I'll have to deal with drivers by then. Hopefully, I won't be one of those annoying and dumb drivers my father complains about all the time!
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On a completely different note, I've recently fell in love with some of Ariana Grande's songs, despite not liking her style. She may sound real bad sometimes, but she can sound pretty good live ((in certain occasions)) as well!
Joanna