ThE rOaD nOt TaKeN.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Yesterday I went over to Bukit Panjang Plaza to visit the library after school. Unfortunately, it was in the evening and the human traffic was pretty bad. Caught the train from Boon Lay and it was like Chinese New Year when we reached Jurong East. I was just in time to watch the NW train leave the station. Thereafter, 3 more E-W trains came in to dump more passengers onto the middle platform before the NW train came.
Like most considerate passengers, I was standing next the the door marking, waiting patiently. I was so disappointed by my fellow Singaporeans when the doors opened. Even before the passengers in the train can get off, everyone on the platform is scrambling to get in...what the? Have we become so "busy" that we forget our basic manners? So by the time I reach the door, I was just able to wave bye bye to another fully occupied train. Grrrr.....
Apparently, there are some people out there who feel that since 'everyone else is doing it', it's ok. I call this "negative kiasu-ism". This is the same 'virus' that affects people who throw food and rubbish out the window, use tissue paper to mark tables and throw junk mail on the floor.
If we become so single-minded in our pursuits, shouldn't we just scrap the markings altogether and have the able-bodied people elbow and crush anyone and anything to get to their seats? Perhaps we should make it such that people who try to squeeze into a train before it is empty will get a strong electric shock to discourage their antisocial behaviour? Or post their pictures on the net for the whole world to see?
Actually it is quite sad if we have to resort to such primitive measures to ensure that people practise consideration. So my solution is to ensure that I pass on the right values to my students. We are all rushing around everyday, but it doesn't mean that you can use your busy schedule to justify selfish behaviour. I think there's an experiment that was conducted that shows that the passengers can get to their seats in a faster time when everything is done in an orderly manner. So it is not only inconsiderate but it's inefficient as well.
Be nice, please...
Labels: be nice
