extracted from straits times forum.
Apathetic commuters put driver in a spot
I AM deeply saddened and perturbed by Singaporeans' sense of apathy
and lack of ethics.
At 7.55am last Thursday, I boarded bus No. 22 at the bus stop
beside Ang Mo Kio MRT station. When the bus was travelling along
Serangoon Road, I heard a commotion between a woman who claimed she
had been molested and a male commuter who adamantly denied any
misconduct.
As the exchange grew more heated, the bus driver stopped the bus in
an attempt to placate both parties who were standing at the front
of the bus.
After a few minutes, this drew protests from two male commuters who
insisted that the driver continue on the journey to get them to
work on time.
One of them spewed vulgarities in Hokkien while the other remarked
that it was a trivial matter and suggested wryly that the woman
should travel in a cab to avoid such incidents.
Faced with mounting pressure and a busload of commuters, the driver
drove on. I do not know if the driver intervened again and resolved
the matter as I alighted soon after.
I was taken aback by how some commuters can remain indifferent when
thrust into situations that call for assistance and, to aggravate
matters, put their own interests before others'.
If the woman in question were a family member of the two commuters
who protested, would they still respond in a similar manner?
Bus companies should educate their drivers on how to handle such
delicate situations appropriately and effectively, if they have not
already been trained to do so.
On a positive note, I would like to commend the woman who stood her
ground and spoke out against the man, as well as the bus driver who
stepped in to mediate the dispute.
Tania HengLi Yen (Ms)
