Click Me TO Apply!!!

Lately there were lots of people questioning the graciousness of Singaporeans. One of the areas/topics most discussed about is the issue with regards to MRT seats. It concluded that Singaporeans are less gracious as lesser and lesser commuters are willing to give up their seats to the either the Elderly or Pregnant ladies.

This post is neither supporting the proposition nor debating against it. I just want to relate 2 experiences which i encountered.

Experience number 1

I seldom sit in MRT trains (usually stand) because of my size and I know that once I sit down, no one will sit beside me – conclusion, I take up 2 seats. But this day I was lucky as there was not many people in the train. So I sat on the Elderly/Pregnant lady seat.

So we reached Orchard and many people boarded the train. It became so crowded and within a moment, every seat was taken up. Being on the Elderly/Pregnant seat, I tend to look out for people who matches the seat’s description (I am very altruistic one okie!). So I saw this foreign lady who had a belly standing in front of me. So without any delay, I gave my seat to her.

After seating for 1 minute, she stood up and in turn gave her seat to her husband standing in front of her.

I felt stupid. Beer Belly!

Experience number 2

I boarded an empty train (the newer model with larger seats). Once again I sat on the Elderly/Pregnant seat. As usual, because it was peak hour, the train was packed by the time we reached Orchard and every seat has been taken up. Again came a lady with a bit of a belly (not very big, but neither is it small) So I thought to myself, “is this lady pregnant a not. Is it because of the way she dressed, resulting in a larger tummy? Hmm…. should I give my seat to her?” Anyway she managed to squeeze her way to the center of the train and took out a book. She began to read it without holding on to anything. “Wah!” I thought, “She is good! Have the agility to balance herself reading a book in a moving train.”

So i was in a dilemma-

If she is pregnant, I don’t give up the seat, people say I act sleeping.

If i give up the seat (given that fact that she has the agility to stand reading the book, which highly suggest that she is not pregnant), and if she is not pregnant but happened to have a big belly, then I will feel bad embarrassing her, suggesting that her belly is big. (of course, I never realized until now that it does not matter because no other passenger will know whether or not she is pregnant.) If you understand this paragraph, I think you are very good with if statements.

So I think think think and before I  could come to a decision, the person sitting beside me got out of the train and the big bellied lady rushed to the seat almost immediately.

So…………. people think I act sleeping.

Perhaps we think too much! 

Posted by: Fordy Lai 2008