Ugly Singaporeans
Sometimes I wonder if I am living in a 1st world cosmpolitan city-state or a third world country. I have come to realise that it's both. Singapore is a country with first world infrastructure, but a citizenry with third world mindset. While it may be unfiar to broadbrush all responsible citizens out there, I have to admit that soft skills is one thing sorely lacking in our society. On top of this list would be social grace.
Was going home on Bus no. 124 last Friday after a night out with Mydaemon. The bus was jam packed. But we still took it since it was already 9pm plus and that's the only bus home for us from Plaza Singapura. Anyway, as the bus stopped at the bus-stop across People's Park Complex, 2 women, 1 old, 1 young, rushed up the bus from the exit even though the bus was packed. I was totally digusted with such behaviour since the only time I witnessed such behaviour was in Shanghai. Even then, the public buses had a conductor. The 2 women put up a show of tapping their cards on the reader, to no avail since the readers are for exit only. What peeved me was not only these people had no social grace to board up the bus properly, they was mot prbably free-riders too. Guess the worst thing to this was the fact that they are native Singaporeans, not some PRC citizen.
Brandishing my handphone, I snapped a picture of the aunite who pulled the stunt. The vigilante in me just can't help doing it. Wanted to capture the other woman, but the bus was too shaky. I have decided that I will do my part in exposing the ugliness of Singaporeans. More Singaporeans will become a mini celebrity here. Just watch this space.
In the meantime, here's a mugshot of the auntie who boarded the bus. Sure does have a "kiam pah" face.
Free-rider from Chinatown
Luna Esa
6/29/2006 10:03:00 am
Yucks so 恶心 one!!! Cannot stand these people!
naniecheng
6/29/2006 10:47:00 am
can i nominate this entry for tomorrow.sg?
darkmuze
6/29/2006 03:28:00 pm
These are the black sheeps of our society. Entirely disgusted. The reader's digest survey was spot-on about Singapore's lack of grace. I'm almost tempted to tell them off when I bump into such inconsiderate/rude people. I wonder what's stopping me.
Teddy
6/30/2006 01:06:00 pm
Luna Esa - Yup, can't believe such people existed in S'pore. Thought such things only happened in 3rd world countries.
Naniecheng - No issue with that.
Darkmuse - The survey results do express the reality. Local service staff are only friendly to caucasians. Internally, they ain't that friendly to each other. As to what's stopping us, I guess it is the asian culture of not putting people in a spot. We are brought up to mind our own business. Face the same problem, that's why I circumvent it by publishing their photos. Better that than nothing. :)
Teddy
6/30/2006 01:06:00 pm
Luna Esa - Yup, can't believe such people existed in S'pore. Thought such things only happened in 3rd world countries.
Naniecheng - No issue with that.
Darkmuse - The survey results do express the reality. Local service staff are only friendly to caucasians. Internally, they ain't that friendly to each other. As to what's stopping us, I guess it is the asian culture of not putting people in a spot. We are brought up to mind our own business. Face the same problem, that's why I circumvent it by publishing their photos. Better that than nothing. :)
yvonne
7/03/2006 09:00:00 pm
I agree that the women should not ride the bus withouting paying, but I think it is okie for them to board the bus from the exit door. Although I did not witness the actual situation, but I have seen people boarding the bus from the exit door because people on the bus simply refused to move in to allow others to board. The entrance of the bus is very crowded and cramped, while there is still space at the back of the bus to squeeze in a few more. I think in such a case, there is nothing wrong with boarding from the exit door then. =)
Johnny Malkavian
7/03/2006 09:50:00 pm
Talk so much for what? She sit very near the exit rite? Throw her off lar!
Anonymous
7/03/2006 11:09:00 pm
The uggly singaporeans are not the ones who board from the exit.
1/ they are the stupid ones who are not moving towards the back
2/ the ones who designed the system so that there is only one entrance.
The only reason for the single entrance is for the bus company to be extra sure that everyone passes by the bus driver and pays his due.
Thanks to the greediness of bus companies people have to be smarter than the rest of the kiasu yet too scared singaporeans and board from the back.
They are the smart entrepreneurs.
Anonymous
7/03/2006 11:15:00 pm
yes, there's nothing wrong with boarding from the exit, if the entrance is so packed they can't get in. I've witnessed in San Francisco, the bus driver actually asked the people to board from the exit (and therefore not needing to pay) because they simply couldn't get up the entrance. What's important is to get people home, and not be so particular about whether they pay their fares. Besides, it's not their fault that the buses are too full.
Anonymous
7/03/2006 11:59:00 pm
Exactly, I agree with annoymous above me, instead of being so bo liao as to take these pple's photo, did u do what a true citizen from a gracious society ought to do, which is to ask the pple around u to move to the back of the bus so that other pple can also get on the bus.
Instead, u are gleeing that u are "packed but on the bus" and look with distaste on pple who cannot get on the bus coz u are in the way and choose not to voice out or take any action to encourage other commuters to move to the back to clear the way for others.
I guess u are also secretly too happy that u are going to get home earlier than these unfortunate souls who are more unlucky than you.
ddenniis
7/04/2006 12:14:00 am
I completely don't understand what you find so disgusting about the aunties' actions. Sure, it might have looked odd that they ran up the exit, but the front of the bus was obviously too crowded for them to come in by the entrance. Like other posters have said, the real ugly Singaporeans in this case were those who didn't move to the back to make space for more people to board.
The fact is that the aunties tried to pay the fare. Ironically, someone who immediately assumes that the women were putting up a show and had no intention to pay at all seems pretty much the ugly Singaporean to me.
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7/04/2006 12:37:00 am
I do think those were rather harsh accusations. And you judged her without giving her a single chance to explain. And took her photo! And put it up on your blog! And it was tomorrow-ed!
Sigh....interested to know if it was a case of commuters not moving to the rear of the bus, hogging the exit/entrance or if the ladies you mentioned were really trying to be skint.
Anonymous
7/04/2006 02:16:00 am
I am more disturbed by those that know they are rude and yet chose to ignore it totally.
http://rudesingaporeans.blogspot.com
Anonymous
7/04/2006 11:29:00 am
This comes with a nation which has achieved first-world nation infrastruture, and forgot to push for its social morales.
When it comes to culture and morales, it will take several generations before we could attain a 'civilised' attitude. Unfortunately, many Singaporeans chose to be ignorant and cease to learn - especially after they reached adulthood.
Anonymous
7/04/2006 12:57:00 pm
I've been to Shanghai before, and this kind of act is very common, people will rush to board the train and buses just to grab seats. The bus conductor will then walk around to collect fares, for those buses with conductors. However, without conductors, the Shanghainese DO board only by the front door, and they DO move to the back and squeeze at the back. This is totally opposite from that of Singapore. Such Singaporeans really do need to brush up on many fronts to be 1st world standard...
Anonymous
7/04/2006 04:59:00 pm
last time when i took bus 74 during poly days, sometimes there will be conductors at the busy bus stop to help people board packed buses. at times, they would guide passengers to board from the exit point. as for the fare, it doesn't matter, people just wanna be in school or work on time. sometimes even have to wait 4 or 5 buses before there's space to board the next one.
Fleck
7/04/2006 08:53:00 pm
The ppl at fault are those who crowd at the front of the bus and not bothered to move behind. I've seen so many times. Yaks, these are the real ugly ones that don't spare a thought for the ppl trying to go home as well.
Dun be too harsh on the aunites, they probably ran up in desperation, only to realise that you can't tap the card reader at the back door. Since they are already up, dun expect them to get down right? Might as well take the ride home.
Anonymous
7/04/2006 10:54:00 pm
Classic case of pot calling the kettle black, no? Taking and posting photos of ppl on the net for all to see and subjecting them to ridicule 'cos of some perceived wrongdoing.. hmmm... takes an ugly Sporean to know another...er..I ought not to post this comment..don't wanna seem ugly...but whatdaheck..I'm ugly anyway (physically only lah).
Anonymous
7/05/2006 03:00:00 am
Like you, it was the only bus home at 9pm, trying to get home for dinner, feed the kids, etc. She looks like she had a long hard day at work. What's so ugly about that? Just another person trying to make an honest living, trying to get home "early".
Teddy
7/05/2006 08:51:00 am
I see that there are 2 points of view here. For those who are of the perspective that people already on the bus failing to move towards the back, I have to categorically state that I, being one of those, just like the rest of my fellow commuters on the bus moved to the back. There are always black sheep around, but I am happy to say that there were none on the bus trip that day. The fact that these people cut the queue of those who bothered to go up from the front of the bus is a rude act. Many comments here state that the people just wanted to go home after a hard day's work. Have the writers of the these comments considered that fact that people who boarded from the front are just as tired as the auntie and the woman who boarded via the rear entrance? My only observation if that the writers are too selfish and steeped in their own views to see the bigger picture, i.e. other people are tired too.
For tertiary bus services, bus operators are aware of the "super peak" hours and therefore they allow commuters to board from the rear. But comments here failed to highlight the fact that machines are deployed to either collect the fees from the rear exit or that the ez-link card point have been enabled to charge the commuters.
I am not at all for free riders, whether they are tired, honest, old, too young etc. You use a service you pay for it. As simple as that. Bus companies are not in the charitable business. Granted that they are public services. That's the reasons why we have senior citizen and student fares.
As with all issues, there are two sides to a coin. I stick with my belief that what the auntie and woman did was wrong.
ddenniis
7/05/2006 10:30:00 am
The fact that these people cut the queue of those who bothered to go up from the front of the bus is a rude act.
So did they run up the rear exit while there was still a queue in front, and thereby cut the queue? Or was the front of the bus too packed to get on, while there was still some space at the back? Your post makes it seem like the latter situation, and that's why so many posters have disagreed with your opinion.
I am not at all for free riders, whether they are tired, honest, old, too young etc. You use a service you pay for it. As simple as that.
Of course, but why assume this was their conscious choice to cheat the bus company of the fare?
On another note, taking videos of such situations would be a lot more objective (although probably not possible till technology advances somewhat): Singapore Lift Auntie
Anonymous
7/06/2006 01:56:00 am
Nothing to say lah...just try not to do it again.
That's afterall...an exit, you can't be telling me that it is right to enter an 'EXIT'. The english dictionary define ENTRANCE and EXIT, so keep to them. otherwise, why use them? This kind of thing, pple see they don't care wat's the motive behind.
Ur Sweet Lullaby
7/06/2006 11:46:00 pm
Hey I thought that SBS has changed their cash-card scanners such that the ones at the exit can also be scanned for entry? Cos' during the jam-packed days, sometimes the front of the bus is very crowded but the middle or the back may not be)so the bus driver actually told the passengers to get up from the rear instead. I witnessed this before!
Teddy
7/13/2006 01:39:00 pm
That's rare. I have not seen this myself. But I have read that there were problems with the deduction of fares from the front entrance as the buses are sometimes too crowded for people to alight from the exit. So the bus companies 'ugraded' the machins to allow commuters to pay the correct fare from the front. Anyway, the driver on the bus I took was not even aware that people are boarding from the rear.