SINGAPORE: An MRT passenger took to social media on Monday (April 15), claiming that tourists forcefully took half of her seat. The post sparked outrage among other online users.
“These tourists just rushed into the MRT and forced themselves on half my seat,” wrote an online user named TR Terminated.
“And (they) pushed me to almost skin contact with a local male passenger who was seated next to me! I told them to move but they wouldn’t… this is madness!
I took their picture and the middle one had the cheek to take a picture of me!”
In the comments section, the passenger added, “The whole cabin was full of their group. I need to wear those sharp thorny nails outfit. Since I am too light to push them off.”
This is not the first time a passenger has complained of such a lack of etiquette.
Multiple reports of passengers making public such complaints range from people propping their bare feet up on the bus to others taking up seats with their bags.
Read related: “You are on the bus, not at home” — Netizen reminds passenger who has his feet up on bus seat
Online users share writer’s sentiments
In response to the post, many took to the comments section to share the writer’s exasperation. Others left their two cents on how she could have handled the incident.
“You can always push them back to recover half of your conquered seat,” said one, to which the writer responded, “What made you think I didn’t?! Unfortunately, I’m petite in size.
And I took the pic so I could raise this issue with the authorities. (However), I doubt the SMRT has a better way to handle such behaviour. (It’s) not like they can fix a plastic divider on every seat.”
“Did you use your elbow to nudge your neighbour back into her seat?” the commenter pressed on. “I hope you didn’t use your hip power to recover your conquered seat. Petite is not the reason for failure…you lose the moment you give up fighting.”
Another said, “A gaggle of three women did this to me many years ago. Three backsides squeezed into two seats and spilt over. When someone vacated the other seat next to me, I REFUSED to move to accommodate them.”
Still, a third wrote, “We are not in heaven yet so we cannot expect people to be well-mannered. Even the elderly are gold medallists in snatching seats.”