13 Thoughts Every Singaporean Has When Taking the Public Transport

This one goes out to those of you who can’t afford to take a cab every day.

1) “OMG talk a bit softer can or not?”

Be it someone on their phone, someone talking to their friend on the train, or a group of students chatting among themselves. We’re assuming what they have to say is super important, and they need to be heard, we get it. But when we can hear them from the front of the bus when they’re seated at the back, or from the next carriage on the train, they’re too loud. Pipe down please!

2) “Walao eh this auntie damn kiasu!”

We’ve all seen them. Everyone’s queued up in lines at the side of the train doors, but when the train arrives, there’s always that one auntie who rushes up and plants herself RIGHT IN FRONT of the doors.

It is a little amusing to watch her get shoved by the crowd exiting the train though.

Another time we get to see them in action is when they rush to flag down the bus early, then scurry after the bus when it does not stop where they are standing.

3)“Will I be late because of the MRT today?”

Oh, the toxic love-hate relationship with our wonderful rapid transit system. On good days, it breezes across Singapore, stopping at acceptable durations at stations. On other days, it crawls from one station to another, waits with it’s doors wide open for the passengers that have long entered the cabin, and comes to jerky stops that causes you to awkwardly stumble into the stranger beside you. This leads us to our next thought…

4) “Can I say I'm late because of the MRT?"

Ever since the breakdown era in 2011, “MRT lor” has been an appropriate response to “why are you late?”

p.s. Teachers and employers use social media too. We think they know whether or not the MRT has been delayed.

5) “Is that woman pregnant or fat? Should I offer to give my seat up for her...?”

Let’s face it – although many of us are willing to give up our seats to those who need it, there are days where you are simply too tired.

Alas, in walks a woman with a belly who questionably looks like she is in need of a seat. You are then faced with the dilemma – to be a good person and offer your seat at the risk of embarrassing someone who wasn’t pregnant, or to studiously avoid eye contact with her and run the risk of being Stomped?

6) “Should I bounce so I can get a seat?”

This applies mostly to those who take the MRT from stations that are near the end – Tampines passengers being the most infamous for doing so. Is it worth that one extra stop to get seats? Most of the time (and to the annoyance of passengers who board the train at the last station only to find that many seats are already taken), the answer is yes.

7) “Still got so much space inside, why never move in?!”

Some people board the bus, take a few steps in… and then stop moving. Eh bro, there is space further down the bus aisle. Move in. Along the lines of inconsiderate people are those who hog two seats with their bags, and people who lean on the poles. You do not need two seats. Your bag does not need a seat. The poles do not need support. Period.

8) “Can you PLEASE MOVE?!”

You’d think it was common sense and basic courtesy that if someone was standing in front of the doors and people wanted to exit the bus or train, they would move out of the way as much as they could. But some people stubbornly stand there and become an obstacle for everyone trying to exit. Please, for Singapore’s sake, move out of the way. Our founding fathers did not work to get Singapore’s transport system to where it is today only for people like you to slow everyone down.

9) “Why are you in my space? You see this line? It’s called ‘personal space’, and you’re crossing it.”

Peak hour periods are when all concepts of personal space get thrown out of the (overcrowded train or bus) window. You know what we mean. You’re pressed up against someone, an uncle is breathing down your neck and a girl’s ponytail is in your face.

A shoutout to all the petite people out there – kudos for putting up with all the armpits in your face. We’re pretty sure the air’s a lot staler down there.

10) “If I press the bell now, is it too early?”

Your stop is next. You reach for the bell… only to pull your hand back again as you take a quick peek at the people around you. At what point is it acceptable to press the bell without coming off as kiasu?

11) “Can move faster or not? Late already late already!”

You overslept, your clothes are in a mess and you’re rushing to catch the bus or train. BAM! Someone decides to take a nice little morning stroll, and ends up delaying you for those precious few seconds that could make a world of difference in how late you’ll be. For some reason, these slowpokes only show up when you’re rushing somewhere. On those hectic mornings, you are convinced everyone is conspiring against you.

12) “Is he looking at my screen?”

You don’t know if you’re being paranoid or if the stranger beside you is really looking at your screen. Your peripheral vision suddenly becomes super sharp as you try to figure out if it was deliberate. Should you close your Whatsapp chat? Should you tilt your screen away, or would that be too obvious?

Cue awkward shifting away from said suspicious person.

13) “OMG WHY CAN’T I TAP MY EZLINK?! WHY?!!!”

Been there, done that. Maybe you forgot to top-up your card, or you have multiple cards in your wallet, but for some reason you tap your card and you get the most alarming response – the red light and the jarring buzzing of your card being rejected. You then awkwardly move backwards to the dismay of the people forming a little queue behind you. Cue the panic as you tap it repeatedly, fully aware that you are holding up the whole of Singapore behind you. The struggle is real; you can feel the glares of the passengers burning into your back.

Any other thoughts you have while on public transport? Leave them in the comments below!

Image sources: Willis Chong, Yahoo Singapore, Google Images