Pedestrian Courtesy in Singapore

[nutnut]

If folk don't like it, folk shouldn't stand so close!

[poodlek]

If folk don't like it, folk shouldn't stand so close!

What if you're sitting and it's the person with the pack who's standing and smacking you in the face with it?

[sundaymorningstaple]

Or you are traveling during peak hours. No choice.

[nutnut]

I am not talking a large backpack, something like this....



My pack never hits people in the face, I'd have to be sitting on their knee to do that!

I agree with the principle on large backpags like this



You can't keep that on, it'd take up too much room.

If you think about it, due to the way a train works, people tend to stand with their feet apart a bit for balance, therefore, the requirement for room on the floor is greater than the requirement for head space as their heads are stationary looking at a Samsung Galaxy Tab or ipad/iphone. this means if you put your bag on the floor, you are effectively taking up much more premium room than if you put it on your back.

Still, I wouldn't be so inconsiderate to stand next to someone in a seat and I'm conscious where I put my bag, in a crowded train people have to deal with it, the floor space rule above applies. I still believe my back is the best place for my backpack!

[poodlek]

...I'm conscious where I put my bag...

That's all anyone can really ask, right? Pay attention to your surroundings, and if there's a simple thing you can do for the comfort of everyone, do it.

[x9200]

What's the problem of having it just on your chest? I traveled many times with a backpack like yours held in front of me and never had any problems with touching/hitting other people. I would never put it on the floor neither for the reasons you mentioned.

[nutnut]

I've never tried it on my chest, I may do that, although, being a bigger chap I'd expect that is could also have issues in it's own rights.

[sundaymorningstaple]

The best part of temporarily wearing on the chest is that you don't need to figure out how to have either eyes in the back of your head or a close proximity detector or rear-view mirrors in the outside corners of your glasses.

[aster]

Lol, too funny.

[x9200]

The best part of temporarily wearing on the chest is that you don't need to figure out how to have either eyes in the back of your head or a close proximity detector or rear-view mirrors in the outside corners of your glasses.

Not to mention that it can be a very good habit in crowded places outside Singapore. Learned it fortunately soft way in Chatuchak in Bangkok after discovering half of my bagpack pockets half opened, probably seconds before somebody emptied them.

[poodlek]

The best part of temporarily wearing on the chest is that you don't need to figure out how to have either eyes in the back of your head or a close proximity detector or rear-view mirrors in the outside corners of your glasses.

Not to mention that it can be a very good habit in crowded places outside Singapore. Learned it fortunately soft way in Chatuchak in Bangkok after discovering half of my bagpack pockets half opened, probably seconds before somebody emptied them.

Yeah I never wear a backpack in foreign countries or crowds for exactly that reason. It's hard to tell the difference between being jostled and being ripped off.

[the lynx]

The best part of temporarily wearing on the chest is that you don't need to figure out how to have either eyes in the back of your head or a close proximity detector or rear-view mirrors in the outside corners of your glasses.

Not to mention that it can be a very good habit in crowded places outside Singapore. Learned it fortunately soft way in Chatuchak in Bangkok after discovering half of my bagpack pockets half opened, probably seconds before somebody emptied them.

Agreed. Another way to counter that is to put up the rain cover and keep important things in inaccessible parts of the bag. I always do that when I carry mine on backpacking trips.

[JR8]

Yeah I never wear a backpack in foreign countries or crowds for exactly that reason. It's hard to tell the difference between being jostled and being ripped off.

In my opinion this is the common urgent warning sign of being robbed/pick-pocketed. I'd extend it slightly further, being jostled but as often as not there is adequate space for no one to have to jostle you*.


*Edit to add: So more often than not my initial reaction has been irritation and the thought 'Why are these fools jostling me!?' And if you're not quick on the uptake it's too late. Oh and don't trust women more than men, women seem to be the more common perps, especially those with children in tow.

[morenangpinay]

[Splatted]

I am not talking a large backpack, something like this....

If the bag was causing others discomfort and you had the power to change that, but wouldn't, of course you are a douche.

Smaller bags like this one above are easy to hold by the side or in front.

What was most frustrating about my encounter with that moron was that he failed to see the question was never about his 'rights'. He was indeed allowed to wear the backpack. The issue was about graciousness, common courtesy which clearly his parents never taught him a thing about.

You have to pity such people, as they usually have a poor EQ..