Singaporeans praise ‘old timer’ bus captain for helping elderly auntie with her wheelchair

SINGAPORE: A heartwarming video of a gentlemanly act from a bus captain has gone viral recently, with many netizens expressing admiration for him.

A video posted on the TikTok account of @kiranama3 on Jul 19 (Saturday) showed an older lady on a bus manoeuvering her wheelchair, which was heavily laden with various items such as groceries, so she could alight from the bus.

@kiranama3

singaporesingaporebus

♬ original sound – Mahaonnath – Mahaonnath

The bus captain, who looked even older than the woman, came promptly to her aid and extended the ramp so she could push the wheelchair down with ease. He even guided the chair with one hand, which was probably most helpful to the auntie, as she looked like she had some difficulty walking.

The woman could also be heard asking the bus captain if he was working late that day. He answered her that his shift would be ending soon.

Read related: SMRT Bus Captain returns passenger’s lost wallet despite SG-MY commute

The brief but friendly exchange, as well as the dignified way the elderly bus captain helped the auntie, received a lot of praise from netizens commenting on the video.

“Old timer driver in Singapore still strong. Anyone can guess how long this driver has been driving for SBS. He must have driven a manual bus at that time,” one wrote.

“This senior citizen bus captain is power!!!” commented another.

One called him the “Best driver.”

“Singapore’s public transport is always the best. It’s the commuters sometimes that can be unreasonable (in general, not referring to auntie),” observed another. To their point, there are many stories of rude commuters who put their feet up on other seats on buses, or those who place their belongings on seats on the bus or train.

“Agreed. It’s the infamous MRT auntie who refused to remove her bag from the reserved seat that everyone hates,” a commenter answered.

What seems to have stood out to some TikTok users is how patient the bus captain stayed, a quality which can be in short supply in the city-state.

“As we age, mobility can become a challenge. Even crossing traffic lights quickly becomes fearful for those struggling to walk fast. They can even pull leg muscles when they suddenly try to sprint across the roads. S’pore is often less patient in a fast-paced life,” one wrote.

A few suggested that the two know each other, based on the friendly tone of their exchange. /TISG

Read also: SBS bus captain praised for returning lost backpack containing S$14K