We reported yesterday that Facebook user Whing Jenny shared a picture of an inconsiderate commuter in the MRT showing a woman holding a toddler on her lap, with the toddler’s legs on an empty reserved seat. Jenny said that she asked the mother if she would remove the child’s leg so that she could sit, but the woman declined to do so.
https://theindependent.sg.sg/inconsiderate-mrt-commuter-refused-to-move-toddlers-legs-and-prevented-use-of-reserved-seat/
Facebook user Akshat Tiwari has today claimed that Jenny had fabricated the entire story, and that absolutely no one approached his wife to use the reserved seat. He further claimed that there were other empty seats in the train. Akshat who took offence that Jenny took his wife’s picture without permission said that he was going to report the matter to the police.
He said that his child was sitting in the reserved seat for a major part of journey, until he felt sleepy and climbed onto his mother’s lap. Akshat said that he serves in multiple charities and was offended by netizens who made insensitive comments about the incident.
https://www.facebook.com/akshat.tiwari.524/posts/10158682099635501:0
Jenny however is standing by her story. In another Facebook post, Jenny said that what she said earlier was nothing but the truth, and that if there was another empty seat available in the train, she would not have asked to use the reserved seat. Jenny is a senior citizen and so was entitled to use the seat.
In describing the mother’s action as “blatant disregard of consideration to seniors”, Jenny said that it was all “simply a matter of showing graciousness, consideration and courtesy to fellow commuters.”
Quoting her husband, Jenny said: “If they are Singaporeans they are being ungracious. However, if they are foreigners, we will forgive them.” Jenny disagreed with Akshat that she had malicious intent for taking the picture.
https://www.facebook.com/whing.jenny/posts/1996991296993279
A cursory check on the internet shows that Akshat Tiwari is the Vice President at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ and that he has an MBA from the University of Delhi. He has been in Singapore at least since June 2015.