The MRT- No Place For An Able Bodied Male.
Our SMRT is supposed to have won some kind of international award for being fabulous and all kinds of shit. The kind of awards which are usually given out by a panel of old guys and old women.
So its understandable.
But if you’re like me, an abled bodied male whose age can be anything from 20-49, then I’d say the MRT is no place for you.
I never take the MRT if I have a choice. These days, its always packed and it doesn’t matter which direction you go or at which time you take it. Rush hour is no different from normal hours which is no different from after hours. Its always crowded and there’s always a fat, hairy smelly guy standing too close to you. I hate it when people invades into my private space. But with the SMRT all out bid to make as much profit as possible, its not a choice anyone has. If you’re going to take the MRT, you will have to accept the fact that someone will be stepping into that private space. Someone who is usually fat, hairy and smelly.
I remember a time when you could actually take the MRT for pleasure. Back when there’s a 60 percent chance you will actually be able to sit from the time you get on to the time you get off. These days, if you’re like me, the only time you’d get to sit, if there’s a sarin gas alert on the MRT and you really don’t mind holding your breath from Pasir Ris to Jurong. Or you could pretend to sleep and see your pretend-sleep face plastered all over stomp.sg the next day and outraged strangers tracking you down on Facebook and Friendster.
2 weeks ago, I had the unfortunate experience of taking the MRT from Tiong Bahru all the way to Pasir Ris. Not one time in the entire trip did I actually get a chance to sit down. Being able bodied doesn’t make me superman. I still get tired. But what choice do I have? It was only slightly better than rush hour- so instead of the fat, hairy smelly man staring right in your face, he’s far enough so the stench is bearly endurable. I am not saying in between stops there wasn’t people getting off and vacating the seats, but its just that you know sooner or later, there always, ALWAYS someone who needs the seat more than you.
Being an able bodied male means I am right at the bottom of the seat totem pole. The only thing lower on the totem pole is shopping bags- sometimes. There’s always some kid, mother carry some kid or mother who is going to have some kid soon, or old people boarding the train. You couldn’t sit down for 5 minutes without the need to give up the seat to someone. So in the end, why bother. Might as well stand.
The MRT is really no place for the able bodied male.
14 Comments so far
Talking about fat, I am fat… (looks at self)
And yes, I hate the MRT too because a lot of people tends to hate the fat people. You know why? Because we took more “space” than needed.
So, during my poly days, I’d rather stand from Chinese Garden till Bedok (I was schooling at Temasek Poly) and that goes on for my 3 years of schooling.
I don’t blame myself, nor I don’t blame the MRT commuters. But I blame the inconsideration people sometimes give. I wonder where’s the “courteous campaign” with the stupid cute lion? None of those ever worked with Singaporeans.
So, being the “abled me”, I don’t mind standing. Even when I’m with friends going to jamming or to town, and even with a vacant seat, I’d rather ignore it and choose to stand. I wonder if anyone ever noticed me at all. I don’t make any much difference.
I will only get a seat if it’s the newer trains (I called it the black train) because it supposedly has approx 10% bigger width than the “white train”.
So the next time you see a standing fat man in the cabin of the MRT, it could be me. And if think standing from Tiong Bahru till Pasir Ris is long enough, think about me, who has been standing for 3 years from Chinese Garden till Bedok (sometimes Tampines) just to benefit fitter, slimmer people to get the asses on the seats.
Just my 2 cents worth.
=)
marc, that is so damn true. The days of boon lay to eunos omg.. even if you do give up your seat, don’t expect everyone to thank you or even acknowledge you. Worse, they give you some weird look.
When I read that SMRT won some award in the paper, I was dumbfounded. Commuters pack like sardines, the increasing number of breakdowns…
well.. so much to say about the civic mindness of singapore residents.. i supposed.. liked ch said,
“don’t expect everyone to thank you or even acknowledge you. Worse, they give you some weird look.”
there are always a minority group that does not reciprocrate this action.. but to those who do.. didn’t they give us a little sense of appreciation?? afterall, we ain’t get paid for doing this.. treat it as doing a good deed once a day..
but for those who don’t.. please.. do not complain about people who don’t give up seat to you when you ever became the needy.. =)
Don’t go off tangent leh. The root issue isn’t about courtesy and graciousness. It is about the declining service level of the public rail network.
i felt it getting crowded too – now that you are sharing it, it is true.
but i still get seats if im lucky from east to town. but other than that, i agree, its very hard to find a seat. especially when its the other way around.
read they are gonna increase the no. trains? that is good news
I really understand how you feel, being an able bodied male myself. I’ve given all hope of ever getting a seat and find that it’s easier to just resign myself to the fate of standing all of my train journey. Don’t really like taking trains now for that reason, but sometime no choice.
As for the lack of graciousness, let’s not even get started there. LOL
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don’t understand why must you discriminate against “fat, hairy smelly” people.
if you’re commenting about the service levels, stick to it. there’s no need to be offensive for the sake of being funny.
they’re just different from you. every one is different from everyone else. it doesn’t mean they’re wrong. just different.
Oh.. stop being a whinebag. Imagine if a self proclaimed “able bodied male” like you is complaining about being tired, what about those that are really in need of the seat? What do you think it’s like if an elderly man, a pregnant woman or a small kid has to stand from “Pasir Ris to Jurong?”
And I have to agree with the volumes this post and its replies say about the civic mindedness of locals. You give up your seat because some other people NEED it. You do it because it should appeal to the HUMANNESS in you that you do not want others to suffer. You give up your seat because you can EMPATHISE with how the more needy one is doing. It would be nice to be appreciated for your actions, but that should not be your primary concerns!
If you don’t give a flying fuck about this, just don’t give up your seat. If you’re looking for “thanks” or “acknowledgements”, don’t friggin bother. Who cares if you end up on Stomp! ? Stand for your rights that you’ll NEVER give up your seat unless you are acknowledged, because at the end of the day, that’s what you are in for. It’ll also tell those “unappreciative people” that the only way to get seat is to say “thanks” no matter how insincere it might be. How’s that for a courtesy campaign?
This post sickens me
I think you’re being a bit inconsiderate yourself. I’m not trying to be rude, but if it comes to giving up seats, abled-bodied MEN in particular should be the last to complain.
Be happy, at least in your student days you had the chance to have ‘60% chance to sit’. Being a student myself, we lug bags that are probably twice the weight yours ever was (mine, at least), and have longer schooldays. Would you deny that?
Yet with the ageing population, there are more old people around and they arguably deserve to sit, especially if they’re carrying things. Students are criticised even more, then, if we don’t give up our seats because it somehow reflects poor teaching in school or some insane reason like that.
I’m sorry, but when it comes to seats that everyone else already clamours for, abled-bodied complainsome males are last on the priority list. You had your chance in your childhood to get a seat 60% of the time; many of my friends and myself have about 40% chance.
Tuppence worth. That’s all.
I know of old ladies who complain less than you. Bad smells and lack of seats are merely minor inconveniences. Here in Japan, you get groped, by the said hairy smelly men, sometimes women.
If my salary per month is 6 figures, I will take the taxi everyday to and from work. I work in the west and stay somewhere in the North and everyday after work, it is like a war zone. All the pushing and shoving just to get it and then some. Worse yet, nobody wants to move in further. I think SMRT should be stripped of its award. HAHAHA.
[...] ERPains, Trains & Automobiles – Insane Polygons: The MRT- No Place For An Able Bodied Male [...]
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