Monday, June 1, 2009

A very unpleasant experience

Today let's talk about a day on the local MRT system. What I want to write today is directly related to my pent-up frustration based on the local mass-rapid transit system. I have been tolerating the fact that the locals rush into the carriages as soon as the doors open without allowing the passengers inside to alight first, as a result there is a jostle and flaring of tempers as selfish insensitive Singaporeans push and force their way into the cabins without giving a thought to those trying to alight.

I never experienced such a scenario in Taiwan nor in Indonesia. The passengers are very disciplined and will wait for alighting passengers before attempting to board themselves. Okay, never mind about that, not only can't wait for passengers to alight. Let's talk about giving up seats.

I am in favor of giving up my seat to someone who needs it more than I do and I have given up my seat countless of times and have I am contentedly rewarded with a smile of gratitude.

TODAY. I was seated in the train, it wasn't very crowded but all the seats were occupied, and at one stop a middle-aged woman pushing a pram with a baby in it boarded the train at the opposite door slightly further away from where I am sitting. Now if someone needy of a seat were to stand in front of me, I would more than gladly give up my seat for him/her.

Now this woman wasn't pregnant, neither was she old nor carrying anything heavy, she was pushing a pram with her baby in it and she was more than 5-6 seats away from me. Okay, the train was now leaving the station, beginning to accelerate.

Now seeing no one giving up his/her seat (the carriage so happened to be filled with a majority of non-Chinese foreign workers), so I decided to give up my seat even though I was a distance away.

Seeing no one who would selfishly rush and plunk himself into my seat as soon as I stood up to give up my seat to someone else, (it has happened before). So I stood up and signaled to her, I asked, "Hi would you like to have a seat?"

She came over but made no effort to acknowledge me at all, it was like I was invisible and she had spotted an empty seat. Then she plunked herself on the seat with a "humph" and a huff of breath and ignored me completely! Not a single gesture of gratitude, no smile, no "thanks", no nod. Nothing, she then turned away at stared into the distance, completely avoiding my gaze. It's one thing to ignore me, it's another thing to "humph" me!

WTFFFFFFFF?? Bitch!

I've never experienced such a cold response to courtesy at all in my short life. Offering my seat is a sign of courtesy and generosity, but this woman, who thinks that giving up the seat is HER RIGHT. She behaved as if the seat BELONGED to her and she owns the RIGHT to sit on that seat, what the hell? Am I supposed to enthusiastically JUMP out of my seat as if I sat on a hot poker the moment she entered the train and offer her my seat with pom poms and cheerleaders??? "HERE HAVE MY SEAT PLEASEEE TAKE ITTTT"

I almost stared at her with absolute shock and disgust for a couple of seconds as she continued to ignore me.

WTF, I was so pissed I left the carriage for the next carriage instead. Damn stuck up Singaporean mum bitch. It's no wonder why the young generations in Singapore are losing all their manners, getting rude, stuck-up, demanding and impatient.

How the hell am I expected to reciprocate my generosity and courtesy when I am met with such hostility and cold rudeness today?

Yes, there are the good souls and genuinely courteous Singaporeans around, and I have met such nice souls before. Yet today's encounter absolutely stumped me into absolute disgust! I remember a couple of months ago, the straits times published an article n the life section where a reporter was tasked to look out for courteous and kind souls, where the reporter would then write about her experiences. Some tasks to test the courtesy and generosity of Singaporeans include asking for directions, hauling bulky items up an escalator or into a lift, or seeing who would hold a door for her on the way out of a store and even asking for spare change or to use their hand phone. But such souls are far and in between and extremely rare in the selfish materialistic Singaporean society.

In my previous entry, why am I lambasting Singaporeans? Travelling opened my eyes to the world. After my experience with security guards from two worlds, and my daily experience on the mass-rapid transit system from both worlds, my disdain for a local Singaporean has only been increasing with a vengeance.

Bitch...

Posted by MK at 5:23 PM