SINGAPORE: Does Singapore have a problem with rude commuters? Some would undoubtedly answer this with a full-throated “Yes!” given the number of people who put up their feet, bags, or parcels on unoccupied seats on buses and trains.
But a person lying down on a row of seats may just be a first. “Ah gong bus,” wrote Mr Cornelius Koh in an April 26 post on the COMPLAINT SINGAPORE Facebook page.
He also posted a picture of a young, or at least young-ish, man lying down nearly full length on a row of bus seats, with his knees raised in what looked like a bid for full comfort.
Moreover, Mr Koh commented, “worst he didn’t take off his shoes, just bloody stepping on the seats.”
If he were feeling sick, lying down might be more understandable, but the young man appears to be simply enjoying being on his mobile phone during the bus ride.
Commenters on the post noted that this behaviour is unusual for Singapore. “First time to see this pattern,” wrote one. Another joked, “One jam brake is all it takes for the ‘ah gong’ to fall and regret his actions.”
Some, however, were upset by what they felt was the man’s lack of respect, and others called his behaviour shameful.
“This first-world country is degenerating to a fantastic level. Simply disgusting and disgraceful!” one wrote.
“And now uncle lay down. What’s nxt?” asked another.
One commenter suggested, “So inconsiderate and no manners! SBS should put up a ‘fine’ for ill-behaved commuters.”
Earlier this month, a netizen who was unhappy with a man who had put up his feet on the bus seats across him, wrote that people who do so should be fined in the same way that table litterers or people who don’t clear their crockery and utensils at food centres are made to pay if they are repeat offenders.
“There should be a fine imposed like the clearing of trays in hawker center. Otherwise people just don’t bother and do as they like. Very unhygienic,” she added.
“I loudly said ‘Excuse me, what are you doing!’, he immediately placed his feet down but his body language was not appropriate.
When I disembarked, I complimented the bus driver for being very kind in allowing him to pay the student fare without an ID and I also highlighted what the boy did after that.” /TISG