One that will probably make the MRT operators see red: I hate having to take the train to work every morning.
But don't get me wrong.
My dislike does not have anything to do with the way the trains are maintained or operated.
Rather, it is the inconsiderate mindset of some commuters that irks me.
Every morning, I jostle with the peak-hour crowd as I take the train from my home located in the east to get to my workplace in Toa Payoh.
And without fail, the ugly side of a few commuters will present itself in more ways than one.
For example, many commuters still continue to push their way into the trains.
This, despite the yellow guides that have been painted on platforms at MRT stations to remind people to give way to alighting commuters.
Similarly, some people still insist on crowding the areas around the doors of the train completely disregarding the numerous announcements requesting them to move to the centre of the cabin.
And let us not forget commuters who find a certain sense of joy from blasting music from their mobile phones loud
enough for the whole cabin to hear.
I understand if you want to travel with music so that your journey will not be a bore.
But really, is it necessary to force everyone else to listen to your music as well?
We must remember that every commuter pays for his or her fare. Every one of us is entitled to travel in a pleasant surrounding.
It is highly selfish and thoughtless to deprive another commuter of that right.
The MRT train is a public space no one has the right to treat the train like his or her home.
Indeed, precisely because it is a public space, we should be more mindful of how we behave in the presence of other commuters.
A quick browse through the online citizen media website, Stomp, and you will have a good idea of just how prevalent the issue of inconsiderate commuters is.
There are instances of passengers hogging more than one seat, schoolchildren who sit and block the train doors, teenage couples who grope and hug one another in blatant public displays of affection.
Such inconsiderate behaviour reflect terribly on Singaporeans especially so if tourists witness such acts.
It would be unfair for me to make a sweeping statement and say that all commuters are selfish and inconsiderate.
I have seen kind and considerate commuters giving way to those alighting or giving up their seats for the disabled and elderly.
But it is just that particular segment of people who make travelling on the MRT an unpleasant experience.
It is time we learn to be more mindful of our actions.
