Tuesday, September 11, 2001
16:33 by FoxTwo Welcome one and all, to my soapbox.
When you're on the MRT, have you ever seen some older folks, especially women about 50 yrs old and above, slapping the seat before sitting down?
Have you ever wondered why they do that? I have. I remember when I was a kid, my mom slapped the seat on the bus after someone got off, before sitting down, and I asked her why she did that. She just gave me a cryptic reply "To get rid of all the hot air".
Okay sounds plausible. But these are MRT seats! They are made of plastic! What kind of "hot air" would get trapped in plastic, and in an aircon cabin to boot?
Speaking of seats, SMRT is currently trying out yet more yellow lines on the floor. I say it's a waste of time. Efforts to "educate" Singaporeans aren't working, and you know why? Because they are attacking the problem from the wrong end.
They think people rush to get into the trains because they are afraid the doors will close if they don't hurry. Well, some might think that way, but the fact is, Singaporeans rush in because THEY WANT TO GET THAT SEAT! It's as simple as that! So much so, that they rush in without even giving those alighting a chance to get OUT!
So, what's the solution? Simple - remove all the seats. Use those cabins they bought some time back, the ones without seats but just a pad along the wall for people to rest their butts. Once you do that, you will find Singaporeans will no longer have a reason to rush in before allowing those who want to get off, to get off.
This also leads to another problem, one on the buses. You can see a bus with people in front crammed like sardines, and no more room for the driver to pickup any more from the bus stops. Then when these buses drive past, you can see that the cramming stops in the middle, and the back of the bus is rather sparse. Why? Because the people want to stand near to the exit door. Years upon years of SBS trying to educate the passengers have yet to bear fruit. How many years has it been since you first noticed the "Please move to the rear of the bus" plea?
Exactly! If after years and years of "educating" the public fails for SBS, what makes SMRT think yellow lines on the floor will change anything? SBS, like SMRT, are attacking the problem from the wrong end. Singaporeans are practical people. It's practical to stand near the door on buses, so you can get off easier. It's practical to rush in and grab the seat on the MRT, than to wait for everyone to get off, by which time people inside the cabin would have moved to claim those vacant seats.
If only SBS would attack the problem at the root - move the exit door to the END of the bus, like those tour coaches. I guarantee you, everyone would move to the rear! If SMRT were to remove all the seats, people would stop rushing in.
Okay, some of you are saying - what about the elderly and pregnant ones? Well, SMRT could still keep those corner seats, you know, those that come in pairs at the ends of each cabin? Designate those as for elderly, disabled and pregnant people only. Have a large fine for anyone caught sitting there that doesn't fit the criteria. After all, Singapore is a fine country - everywhere you go, you get fined.
Well time to go.. more rants next time...
16:33 by FoxTwo Welcome one and all, to my soapbox.
When you're on the MRT, have you ever seen some older folks, especially women about 50 yrs old and above, slapping the seat before sitting down?
Have you ever wondered why they do that? I have. I remember when I was a kid, my mom slapped the seat on the bus after someone got off, before sitting down, and I asked her why she did that. She just gave me a cryptic reply "To get rid of all the hot air".
Okay sounds plausible. But these are MRT seats! They are made of plastic! What kind of "hot air" would get trapped in plastic, and in an aircon cabin to boot?
Speaking of seats, SMRT is currently trying out yet more yellow lines on the floor. I say it's a waste of time. Efforts to "educate" Singaporeans aren't working, and you know why? Because they are attacking the problem from the wrong end.
They think people rush to get into the trains because they are afraid the doors will close if they don't hurry. Well, some might think that way, but the fact is, Singaporeans rush in because THEY WANT TO GET THAT SEAT! It's as simple as that! So much so, that they rush in without even giving those alighting a chance to get OUT!
So, what's the solution? Simple - remove all the seats. Use those cabins they bought some time back, the ones without seats but just a pad along the wall for people to rest their butts. Once you do that, you will find Singaporeans will no longer have a reason to rush in before allowing those who want to get off, to get off.
This also leads to another problem, one on the buses. You can see a bus with people in front crammed like sardines, and no more room for the driver to pickup any more from the bus stops. Then when these buses drive past, you can see that the cramming stops in the middle, and the back of the bus is rather sparse. Why? Because the people want to stand near to the exit door. Years upon years of SBS trying to educate the passengers have yet to bear fruit. How many years has it been since you first noticed the "Please move to the rear of the bus" plea?
Exactly! If after years and years of "educating" the public fails for SBS, what makes SMRT think yellow lines on the floor will change anything? SBS, like SMRT, are attacking the problem from the wrong end. Singaporeans are practical people. It's practical to stand near the door on buses, so you can get off easier. It's practical to rush in and grab the seat on the MRT, than to wait for everyone to get off, by which time people inside the cabin would have moved to claim those vacant seats.
If only SBS would attack the problem at the root - move the exit door to the END of the bus, like those tour coaches. I guarantee you, everyone would move to the rear! If SMRT were to remove all the seats, people would stop rushing in.
Okay, some of you are saying - what about the elderly and pregnant ones? Well, SMRT could still keep those corner seats, you know, those that come in pairs at the ends of each cabin? Designate those as for elderly, disabled and pregnant people only. Have a large fine for anyone caught sitting there that doesn't fit the criteria. After all, Singapore is a fine country - everywhere you go, you get fined.
Well time to go.. more rants next time...
