SINGAPORE: While it’s certainly an unhygienic habit, there have been many incidents in Singapore when a commuter, especially on a bus, still puts his or her feet on the seat.
“So inconsiderate and when I saw his feet, I wanna puke. This was on bus number 7,” wrote Ms Debbie Lim on the popular COMPLAINT SINGAPORE Facebook page on Thursday (Feb 22).
She also posted two photos, one of an elderly man caught in the act and a close-up of one of his feet, which had black streaks and dust.
Ms Lim is by no means alone in finding the habit of putting feet on bus seats to be an upsetting one. Such complaints recur regularly on local social media sites, with accompanying photos.
But the fear of getting one’s feet on a bus seat posted online isn’t enough to be a deterrent for many.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) was quoted in The Straits Times last September that this habit is unhygienic and potentially takes a seat away from another passenger.
It added, “Signs have already been put up to discourage such behaviour. LTA will continue to work with public transport operators to encourage gracious commuting and behaviour.”
Nevertheless, it still happens. In one instance in December 2022, the photo of one woman with her feet up under a sign saying such a practice is not allowed was posted online.
Read also: Woman caught on camera with feet up on bus seat under a sign that says it isn’t allowed
Commuters who witness this unhygienic behaviour can also “politely remind” their fellow passenger “displaying such inconsiderate behaviour not to do so,” Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Baey Yam Keng was quoted in ST as saying last September.
Sometimes, however, people get defiant, as in the case of a woman who put her feet on a bus seat despite the bus driver’s warning in October last year. She eventually got arrested.
Read related: Woman who put her feet up on bus seat despite bus driver’s warning gets arrested
The incident received much attention online after a video of the woman was shared on TikTok.
When confronted, she put on sunglasses and covered her face with a face shield, and when the bus captain intervened and reminded her that putting her feet up is not allowed, she raised her voice at him. /TISG
Read more: Yet another passenger spotted putting their feet up on bus seats