‘WAIT FOR PEOPLE INSIDE THE TRAIN TO EXIT FIRST BEFORE ENTERING!’ — Angry Singaporean tells SMRT passengers, ‘THE TRAIN DOESN’T MOVE FASTER IF YOU ENTER FASTER!’

SINGAPORE: If there’s one uniquely Singaporean trait that unites both locals and visiting expats, it’s our Olympic-level efficiency, but when it comes to boarding the MRT, some commuters still seem to think it’s a game of fastest fingers first. Or in this case, fastest feet in.

Taking to Reddit’s r/SMRTRabak, one frustrated Singaporean finally said what most of us are too paiseh to yell in public: “WAIT FOR PEOPLE INSIDE THE TRAIN TO EXIT FIRST BEFORE ENTERING!” And if that wasn’t clear enough, he added a little more dramatic flair:
“THE TRAIN DOESN’T MOVE FASTER IF YOU ENTER FASTER!”

Despite years of MRT etiquette campaigns, stickers, and school talks, the problem persists. “We always complain about this dumba** problem, but this is something we can actually do something about,” the Singaporean declared, rallying fellow passengers to raise their voices when necessary.

WAIT FOR PEOPLE INSIDE TO EXIT
byu/crichtonrock inSMRTRabak

And he wasn’t wrong. The act of standing aside to let passengers alight before boarding isn’t just polite — it’s common sense, but when that train door opens, it seems like basic manners get swallowed up by the platform gap.

“WE LET PEOPLE EXIT BEFORE YOU BOARD!”

Surprisingly, the Reddit post sparked an unexpected wave of international solidarity — from very large men.

One American visitor proudly shared: “I take every opportunity to make sure all 136-kg 189-cm of myself walks straight into these people while loudly saying ‘YOU MUST BE NEW HERE! IN THIS COUNTRY, WE LET PEOPLE EXIT BEFORE YOU BOARD!’ It’s my way of giving back to the community here.”

A British counterpart chimed in, weighing in at 109kg and 187cm, saying, “I do exactly the same. Tense up the shoulders and walk straight through. Works every time.”

Talk about gentle giants with civic intent.

“It is normally the older uncles and aunties (and ah-peks and ah-ngs) folks who tend to barge into the trains…”

Interestingly, many netizens pointed out that the usual suspects aren’t who you’d expect. “It is normally the older uncles and aunties (and ah-peks and ah-ngs) folks who tend to barge into the trains without letting people exit first,” one commenter observed.

“Especially at outer suburban stations or mature HDB estates. Also prevalent at Chinatown and Outram Park,” he added. Apparently, train etiquette declines the further you get from the CBD (Central Business District).

One local individual even recounted how a 60-something-year-old auntie “thought she could run in and shove me out of the way.” Spoiler alert: She ended up “bouncing back and landed on her bum.”

“They do it because the first one in will be the first one to get to sit…”

Some commuters believe it’s all about seats. As one netizen explained: “They do it because they don’t want to lose out on seats. First one in will be the first one to get to sit.”

Places like Bishan were called out for this ungracious dash. We get it — your feet hurt. But let others out first, lah.

“Our own people are acting like monkeys on the SMRT…”

In one of the more searing lines of the post, the Redditor remarked:

“Some of you guys on this subreddit saying foreigners bring a third-world mindset… but in fact our own people are acting like monkeys on the SMRT.”

Looks like this Reddit post isn’t just a rant — it’s a rallying cry. So the next time you find yourself face-to-face with commuters trying to exit, don’t be the one who squeezes in like you’re entering some Black Friday sale.

Step aside. Be gracious. Be a human Singaporean, and remember: The train won’t move faster simply because you enter faster.

Read related: ‘People who die-die want to be first to enter/exit the train’ — Singaporean asks, ‘Please help me understand why you do this?’