This world it full of expectations, the greatest one of all is that you expect someone else to do something nice and charitable for you, without anything in return, perhaps that would surprise you to Pay It Forward or at least make you feel like the luckiest person in the world.
However, when these expectations are not met, you get angry, make mountains out of a molehills and then you write a letter to the press to complain. Ah yes, complain, that seems to be the typical nature of the people living in this part of the world who can't get what they want.
Let's begin at the beginning shall we? Be warned that I have in no way targetted the following group of people, but they seem to be the perfect example for this thread.
Pregnant women: At whatever term they're carrying their baby within, will definitely be cumbersome at their later stages. You watch one of them get on a bus or on the train. They waddle to find a seat and surprise, nobody seems to even notice she's pregnant! Come on, what do you think she is, a walking blimp or a Christmas tree? The best part of it is this, suddenly the African Sleeping sickness befalls everyone and they all "pretend" to sleep to avoid eye contact. The best part of it all is yet to come.
Women with babies/infants: They're carrying their baby and they board the bus or train. They desperately look around for a seat to sit down, they don't find one. They have to carry their baby for the entire journey standing up, believe it or not, with perspiration dripping down their legs. Worse, if she's hot, the baby's hot and then the screaming begins, then you wished she never got onto the bus.
Old folks: These people either don't have children to take care of them, or they just don't want to bother their children to take care of them. They venture out into the wild, where the old are thought of as slow and feeble, trying to survive in the jungle of young and fast-pace youngsters. They board the bus or train, they use their last burst of stored energy to dash to an available seat, swatting any youngsters away with their cane or umbrella or stroller.
Right, here comes the anaylsis: Understable that these people are in [desperate] need to sit down, to feel comfortable, to relieve their butt muscles, but is this really a competition of musical chairs? The best part of all of these things are, when somebody nice enough decides to pick up their stuff and give up their seat to these people, lo and behold, they suddenly feel the urge NOT to sit down. They can even smile about it and say, thanks but no thanks, it's only a few stops away, I'll risk it and stand, no big deal. Nice to know. If you ask them, they will say, I don't need to sit down, if you don't ask them, they will think that you're rude because you didn't bother to offer your seat to them or didn't see them there. Expectations.
Hopefully, people will get it into their thick skull that if you're going to take public transport other than a cab, you shouldn't be carrying a baby and EXPECT to be given a seat. People decide to give you their seat out of courtesy, and sometimes out of pity, but NOT because they have to. It's a public seat and they're equally entitled NOT to give it to you. There are also other ways to carry babies, there are baby slings which strap the baby onto either your front or back. It's whether or not you have the energy and the courage to try it. It's quite fun, I've tried it, and it frees you hands so you can grab onto something in case an emergency stop needs to be made.
If you so desperately need to sit down, or that you don't feel well and need to sit down immediately, you could always ASK the person closest to you if you could sit. But of course, do NOT take advantage of this by pretending to be sick! I'm sure if you ask nicely, they will give up their seat for you.
We're all living in a civilised world. Complains and expectations are not the answer here, what good are complains if nobody addresses them, or that they will partially address them, but nothing gets carried out?
What we need to do is learn to be mindful/thoughtful of what others will do in your position were they standing in your shoes. Now that, ladies and gentlemen, that is just one small step we could help to contribute to, to change our world.
However, when these expectations are not met, you get angry, make mountains out of a molehills and then you write a letter to the press to complain. Ah yes, complain, that seems to be the typical nature of the people living in this part of the world who can't get what they want.
Let's begin at the beginning shall we? Be warned that I have in no way targetted the following group of people, but they seem to be the perfect example for this thread.
Pregnant women: At whatever term they're carrying their baby within, will definitely be cumbersome at their later stages. You watch one of them get on a bus or on the train. They waddle to find a seat and surprise, nobody seems to even notice she's pregnant! Come on, what do you think she is, a walking blimp or a Christmas tree? The best part of it is this, suddenly the African Sleeping sickness befalls everyone and they all "pretend" to sleep to avoid eye contact. The best part of it all is yet to come.
Women with babies/infants: They're carrying their baby and they board the bus or train. They desperately look around for a seat to sit down, they don't find one. They have to carry their baby for the entire journey standing up, believe it or not, with perspiration dripping down their legs. Worse, if she's hot, the baby's hot and then the screaming begins, then you wished she never got onto the bus.
Old folks: These people either don't have children to take care of them, or they just don't want to bother their children to take care of them. They venture out into the wild, where the old are thought of as slow and feeble, trying to survive in the jungle of young and fast-pace youngsters. They board the bus or train, they use their last burst of stored energy to dash to an available seat, swatting any youngsters away with their cane or umbrella or stroller.
Right, here comes the anaylsis: Understable that these people are in [desperate] need to sit down, to feel comfortable, to relieve their butt muscles, but is this really a competition of musical chairs? The best part of all of these things are, when somebody nice enough decides to pick up their stuff and give up their seat to these people, lo and behold, they suddenly feel the urge NOT to sit down. They can even smile about it and say, thanks but no thanks, it's only a few stops away, I'll risk it and stand, no big deal. Nice to know. If you ask them, they will say, I don't need to sit down, if you don't ask them, they will think that you're rude because you didn't bother to offer your seat to them or didn't see them there. Expectations.
Hopefully, people will get it into their thick skull that if you're going to take public transport other than a cab, you shouldn't be carrying a baby and EXPECT to be given a seat. People decide to give you their seat out of courtesy, and sometimes out of pity, but NOT because they have to. It's a public seat and they're equally entitled NOT to give it to you. There are also other ways to carry babies, there are baby slings which strap the baby onto either your front or back. It's whether or not you have the energy and the courage to try it. It's quite fun, I've tried it, and it frees you hands so you can grab onto something in case an emergency stop needs to be made.
If you so desperately need to sit down, or that you don't feel well and need to sit down immediately, you could always ASK the person closest to you if you could sit. But of course, do NOT take advantage of this by pretending to be sick! I'm sure if you ask nicely, they will give up their seat for you.
We're all living in a civilised world. Complains and expectations are not the answer here, what good are complains if nobody addresses them, or that they will partially address them, but nothing gets carried out?
What we need to do is learn to be mindful/thoughtful of what others will do in your position were they standing in your shoes. Now that, ladies and gentlemen, that is just one small step we could help to contribute to, to change our world.
1 comment:
I just experienced an ugly side of a Singaporean on the train some weeks ago. It was the usual after-work peak period and a mother with her son (about 6-7 years old) was waiting for the train.
The moment the train arrived, the pair squeezed their way to the front of the queue, dashed in and PUSHED the rest away as they scrambled for a seat.
You should have seen the mother yelling her son in chinese "Quick! Grab your seat!!"
That was not all, the kid was talking so loudly and even standing on the plastic seat throughout the trip. Now we know why these people behaves like this - It all begins with the parents!
- Chio Hot Chick
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