Why are people so rude on the MRT!! Some1 Enlighten me!

[sierra2469alpha]

cbvasi - sure - not having kids ourselves, I can still understand your concern. Hope your little big man gets his legs soon!!! We did it with our god-daughter. I agree manners are going off all over the world - not sure if it's the whole Gen-Y thing, or a total abrogation of personal responsibility. For want of having someone tell me that I'm wrong, but the pandering that seems to be done throughout the world, not just Asia!

Now was it your big little man that caught me in the thigh on the NW line the other day about 4PM??!!! LOL !!!

Gawd, still got the bruise from that...

[carolynW]

I had my cell phone taken from my bag on an MRT (ok this was about 6 years ago), my fault, I used a basket like bag instead of a zipping up bag. I caught the guy in the act, grabbed his collar and if I were not wearing a qipao that day I would have jumped on his back. I was shouting like a mad woman, "he tried to steal my phone".

No one helped, no one blocked him, no one nabbed him or did anything. This is rush hour friday too. I lost my grip on his collar so he got away. I almost punched out the guy who picked up the phone for me, thinking he was an accomplice...

I often wonder if I would help if I heard someone in the same situation, I guess I would. Maybe it all happened so fast... I felt it was strange and rude that others did not help.

[mandrew]

On a side note - could someone please tell me what side of the street to walk on????? I generally go with the flow of traffic - but when it's just me and another person on a sidewalk I'm always giving way even though I switch up the sides b/c I'm not sure -
Last thing - what's with door holding? Have you ever noticed how people sort of let just enough room to let themselves through even though you are right behind them? I'm really used to it so it doesn't bother me - but I always hold the door for people and just wonder if anyone else notices it?

LOL - it doesn't matter where you walk on the footpath, locals will not give way, even if there are three of them and one of you, they will walk three abreast across the entire foot path and not give way until the very last nanosecond, and even then only move just enough so you can get past, and not a millimetre more. As someone who has played lot of AFL my instinct is to drop the shoulder and prepare to shirt-front them but they always slither out of the way at the last second

The door holding thing is just how it is here, but no need for you to change your behaviour...

[mandrew]

The other day as I got off at my station I saw a young man in an electric wheelchair slowly putting his way to the open lift when a perfectly fit woman about mid thirties comes dashing past. Jumps in the empty lift, hits the close door. Door shuts in front of the wheelchair and lifts her up to heaven. I can't ever recall such an egregious example of rude behaviour! Left quite a few people mouths agape.

My wife saw a similar thing the other week, a boy in a wheel chair was trying to get on one of those free shopping centre buses, while his friends folded up his chair he was trying to drag himself onto the bus, meanwhile the bus driver was yelling at him that the bus was not for people like him and to go away.

My wife helped the boy onto the bus and berated the driver for being so unkind, his reply was that 'he would get in trouble with his boss if he let the boy on'!

Meanwhile all the locals sitting up the back of the bus were complaining loudly in chinese that the boy should not be allowed on the bus and they would be late, not realising my wife understands mandarin (or perhaps they didn't care if she did).

[Shona]

Please, that that last post was not true! Mandrew, are you serious???? I mean rude is one thing, but what kind of human beings behave like that. Not just one a***hole, but a group of people???

Are disabled people generally treated like that, or was this just a particularly bad example?

[Saint]

Please, that that last post was not true! Mandrew, are you serious???? I mean rude is one thing, but what kind of human beings behave like that. Not just one a***hole, but a group of people???

Are disabled people generally treated like that, or was this just a particularly bad example?

It's only been in recent years, not sure exactly how long, that the Singapore Government actually accepted/addressed the needs of disabled/special needs people.

[Addadude]

I find it hard to believe too. From my observations over the last 15 years here, Singaporeans are in general very kind to the disabled and particularly thoughtful towards the elderly.

[AK47_UK]

......what kind of human beings behave like that. Not just one a***hole, but a group of people???

- I'm starting to question if they are human beings at all here.

[Addadude]

I'm starting to question if they are human beings at all here.

Honestly mate, if that is your attitude after a mere 3 months here, Singapore is clearly not the place for you. Dumb, ignorant comments like this are exactly what give expats such a bad name.

[sundaymorningstaple]

I find it hard to believe too. From my observations over the last 15 years here, Singaporeans are in general very kind to the disabled and particularly thoughtful towards the elderly.

Yeah, that's why they always park in the disabled parking places!

After they put the elderly in nursing homes in JB where it's dirt cheap so they can afford to buy the car.

And it's only in since the millennium that they have started to earnestly work on retrofitting building and transport lines to be disabled-friendly.

Matter of fact, the schools STILL aren't disabled friendly and they aren't doing too much on that front even now. It's so rare, that when one does go it actually makes the news. They actually make examples out of them instead of letting them try to be as normal as possible. All because they refuse to be sidelined and shunted out of the public eye.

I think on this one we'll just have to agree to disagree.

[Addadude]

I am in total agreement as regards to the Singapore Government's attitude towards the disabled and the slow, reluctant changes that have finally begun to take place.

But in my day-to-day experience, the average Singaporean does indeed demonstrate a great deal of consideration for the disabled and the elderly.

[gillypadi]

[quote]Yeah, that's why they always park in the disabled parking places! [/quote]

I don't agree with the word "always" in that sentence. I don't recall seeing anyone parked in a disabled lot without a valid label.

[Vaucluse]

Singaporeans are total amateurs in so many departments . . . compared to Malaysia.

You people get upset about Singaporeanisms? Come live here under state-sponsored racism, among other things . . .

Don't like the driving? Come and drive here in the Klang Valley where your car gets pushed out of the way by people driving their 1997 Proton rustbuckets.

Ah, you people just don't know how good you have it. Sweet reminiscences.


We miss Singapore!

AK47-UK wrote:

- I'm starting to question if they are human beings at all here.

Oh dear, another one.

From the UK?

Here's a tip: take a taxi to Changi and fly back to the cold, smelly, damp, skinhead-infested, bad-dental structured, unfriendly, crime-ridden, xenophobic, in-bred little piece of shit you call home.


Have a nice day now, y'hear!

[Saint]

You still owe me a beer Mr V

[cbavasi]

From the UK?

Here's a tip: take a taxi to Changi and fly back to the cold, smelly, damp, skinhead-infested, bad-dental structured, unfriendly, crime-ridden, xenophobic, in-bred little piece of shit you call home.

I don't know if I'd go quite that far (lol)... but we're going back to the UK today for a visit and realized I don't have a coat anymore!

It is true tho - based on the other places we've lived we'll be hanging on for as long as possible here in Singapore!

A friend's mom in college once said - If you're not happy inside - you're not going to be happy anywhere you live. A bit happy-clappy I know - but very true. I seriously cannot stand when I meet people and they bitch and moan about their TWO year posting in Singapore of all places - I mean, are you kidding me????