Inconsiderate behaviour in MRT stations
Imagine you are on your way home on the MRT after a long day's
work.
You are just leaning back to enjoy the ride when the peace is
shattered by the loud sound of music.
A few seats away, you spy a group of teenagers playing the latest
top 40 hits on their mobile phones.
What can you do when you encounter such inconsiderate
behaviour?
938LIVE's Shaffiq Alkhatib finds out.
There's an old saying which states that music can soothe the savage
beast.
Apparently, whoever coined it has never heard music playing at full
blast in the confines of an MRT cabin.
Regular commuter, Jemimah Tsoi said such thoughtless behaviour
drives her up the wall.
"It was very annoying! Most of the people who usually play all this
loud music on public transport are teenagers."
Although Jemimah is very irritated by such inconsiderate acts, she
simply chooses to tune out.
She said that she has never told them to pipe down and the fellow
passengers too tend to avoid confrontation.
"Usually Singaporeans are quite passive to whatever goes on on the
public transport. They will just pretend that they just can't hear
anything."
Another regular MRT-user, Yuhanis Norman shares the same
view.
The 17 year old student feels that there should be campaigns to
educate the culprits.
"Measures can be taken. For example: just simple posters all around
the MRT stations or the insides of the MRTs to show how they can be
considerate to other commuters. There can be campaigns in education
institutes."
However some commuters believe in a more punitive approach - fine
the noisemakers.
One of them's Goh Jia Wei.
"I think they can impose regulations. Like you know, how they do to
food and everything. We can put a fine there or something to stop
them".
Spokespersons from both SBS Transit and SMRT say that MRT staff are
empowered to fine commuters who irritate others.
This is according to a clause in the Rapid Transit System
Act.
For now, you can inform MRT staff when you encounter other
commuters displaying inconsiderate behaviour.
They can step in and advice the culprits to toe the line.
If offenders refuse to cooperate, they can be fined up to $500. -
938live.sg
