cutting in line/ queue jumping in Singapore

[x9200]

They do occasionally, especially in Australia where they drive like they do here and promptly get a Darwin Award without going to the NT. Usually get themselves wiped out by a road train. Deservedly too.

I know somehow more gentle version. A colleague of mine went for a business trip to Holland, 3 days in total IIRC and 3 speeding tickets from the photo radars.

[ex-pat]

Please please keep them coming.
This madness makes me laugh. Some people just amaze me.

Ok heres my share...i was queing up at the taxi stand in front of lucky plaza last week....when its finally my turn to board the next cab one middle aged came dashing in front of me. I tap her shoulder and ask if she Q up, she said yes but gave way to someone in front of me earlier. I was queing up for 10 minutes and i didnt see her in the Q. ...Tsk tsk if only its not an offence to kick someone in the #%?&*

[teck21]

Why do SIngaporeans exhibit such low standards of civic behaviour in general? An inability to empathize with others, or generally behave in a manner of courtesy towards others unless they detect an explicit opportunity for gain.

Not sympathy, people of this country have lots of it, they donate genrously to charity shows but thumb their noses up at the guy sleeping on the street who is starving to death for being a bum. Luckily Singapore is so rich there're no bums starving to death on the streets. None at all.

Is it fair to blame the individual for behaving thus? Are they plain rude, inconsiderate or selfish?

Behaviours are learned, for the most part and for most people. And being in a uniquely paternalistic society where people need a figure of authority to look up to, learn from and be led, the people of this country have learned from the best of the best.

What the key difference is though, is that most people of this country have neither the linguistic ability nor the intellectual finesse to rationalise their behaviour.

Basically, they are not able to exhibit a semblance of class and dignity while doing the same classless things.

To be fair, such attitudes are prevalent in pretty much all of Asia, where the proles are generally kept half starved all the time, literally in some cases, metaphorically in most.

God forbid everyone be allowed to have their own car, or perhaps even a helicopter in their home. They would be unruleable! Not sure if there's such a word.

Rant over.

[x9200]

"Behaviours are learned." With the existing status quo they would need to be enforced to be learnt.

[sundaymorningstaple]

"Behaviours are learned." With the existing status quo they would need to be enforced to be learnt.

You believe that? After 31 years of the National Courtesy Campaign there is still virtually no change (except where hefty fines have been put into place to discourage it).

[ksl]

Spoiled brats will always be spoiled brats, parenting is at fault! Though i have met a great deal of Singaporeans with good manners too, so it's really a matter of parenting I believe.

Balance is very important, I get so annoyed when my own daughter slouches around, or sits at a table doing the same, they need to be reminded all the time until it sinks in, how to eat correctly, how to be well mannered, and how to respect others, it doesn't help by ignoring the issues which most parents do here!

My daughter said to me one day, that her friends thought i was really strict, because i give her a good talking to, in front of them. Strict is the wrong word i said, tell them I'm very disciplined, with a harsh voice

[longstebe]

Spoiled brats will always be spoiled brats, parenting is at fault! Though i have met a great deal of Singaporeans with good manners too, so it's really a matter of parenting I believe.

Balance is very important, I get so annoyed when my own daughter slouches around, or sits at a table doing the same, they need to be reminded all the time until it sinks in, how to eat correctly, how to be well mannered, and how to respect others, it doesn't help by ignoring the issues which most parents do here!

My daughter said to me one day, that her friends thought i was really strict, because i give her a good talking to, in front of them. Strict is the wrong word i said, tell them I'm
very disciplined, with a harsh voice

Spot on.

[x9200]

"Behaviours are learned." With the existing status quo they would need to be enforced to be learnt.

You believe that? After 31 years of the National Courtesy Campaign there is still virtually no change (except where hefty fines have been put into place to discourage it).

Exactly mine point. Fine them 1000 SGD for jumping a queue and you will see

[JR8]

"Behaviours are learned." With the existing status quo they would need to be enforced to be learnt.

You believe that? After 31 years of the National Courtesy Campaign there is still virtually no change (except where hefty fines have been put into place to discourage it).

Exactly mine point. Fine them 1000 SGD for jumping a queue and you will see

My wife (SGn) made the same point a week or two back that maybe people should be fined for barging onto trains before others have got off.

But then she dislikes SGns even more than I do

[sundaymorningstaple]

The problem with "behaviours are learnt" is that while fines for littering has slowed it down somewhat, the behaviour learnt is that you wait till you drive across the causeway. I have followed cars full of Singaporean before and actually watched them roll down their windows half way across the causeway into the Malaysian side and then throw trash out the window. They are opportunists, and frankly, if they think that they can get away with something, they'll try....

Course lots of 'em are finding out the Malaysian Police are bigger opportunists than they are!

[JR8]

The problem with "behaviours are learnt" is that while fines for littering has slowed it down somewhat, the behaviour learnt is that you wait till you drive across the causeway. I have followed cars full of Singaporean before and actually watched them roll down their windows half way across the causeway into the Malaysian side and then throw trash out the window. They are opportunists, and frankly, if they think that they can get away with something, they'll try....

Course lots of 'em are finding out the Malaysian Police are bigger opportunists than they are!

Man that's gotta hurt..... bwahahaha!

[x9200]

They are opportunists, and frankly, if they think that they can get away with something, they'll try....

Very true but what else can be done? This type of behaviour does not belong to this culture so parents will not bring up their children to be courteous because they do not recognize there is any problem. I bet majority of SGrs is perfectly fine with the current level of courtesy and these are the Westerners plus some small part of the society who are moaning.

[Strong Eagle]

I bet majority of SGrs is perfectly fine with the current level of courtesy and these are the Westerners plus some small part of the society who are moaning.

I don't think that is the case. It's just that they are too courteous and gracious to call the louts out on their behavior, unlike a lot of us expats.

[nakatago]

I bet majority of SGrs is perfectly fine with the current level of courtesy and these are the Westerners plus some small part of the society who are moaning.

I don't think that is the case. It's just that they are too courteous and gracious to call the louts out on their behavior, unlike a lot of us expats.

I wouldn't call it courteous; us Southeast Asians just find it too troublesome to call someone out on bad behavior...we're big on family so anyone not in our family doesn't matter. The whole top-bottom authority thing is probably a reason why we'd rather be passive-aggressive about s#!+ like this. Stomp, anyone?

[sundaymorningstaple]

I bet majority of SGrs is perfectly fine with the current level of courtesy and these are the Westerners plus some small part of the society who are moaning.

I don't think that is the case. It's just that they are too courteous and gracious to call the louts out on their behavior, unlike a lot of us expats.

I wouldn't call it courteous; us Southeast Asians just find it too troublesome to call someone out on bad behavior...we're big on family so anyone not in our family doesn't matter. The whole top-bottom authority thing is probably a reason why we'd rather be passive-aggressive about s#!+ like this. Stomp, anyone?

Spot on.