THE report, "Stop hogging that priority seat!" (my paper, June 1), gave me the impetus to write this letter.
Campaigns are generally effective when they are on, but after the campaign period is over, people forget and return to their old ways.
For the priority-seat campaign to have any bite, the public needs to act.
Members of the public have to be proactive about following the campaign.
When I was in San Francisco a few years ago, I took a public bus.
It was not that crowded, but some youths had taken the reserved seats.
An elderly couple boarded the bus, saw that there were no seats available and promptly told the youths to "shoo".
The young people gamely obliged.
When I was recently in Taipei, I often noticed that reserved seats were not taken, even when the trains were crowded.
If they were occupied, they were quickly given up once someone who needed them more boarded the train.
No one had to tell the Taiwanese commuters to do so.
A friend from there asked me why Singapore has courtesy campaigns.
In return, I asked him why Taiwan did not have them.
He said: "We don't need them as we are taught to be courteous at home and in primary school." Courtesy is a way of life for the Taiwanese.
Why can't it be the same for Singaporeans?
We should nicely tell priority seat hoggers that they ought to give up their seats to those in need.
Those who need the seats should speak up politely and ask for them.
Should hoggers be unwilling to give up their seats, other passengers should lend those in need their voices, instead of thinking that they should not interfere.
I have made a few more observations on commuters' ungracious acts.
Parents almost never remove their children's shoes when the latter stand on bus or train seats.
They also let their dozing children stretch out over two or more train seats, even when the cabin is crowded.
Adults still eat and drink on public transport.
These inconsiderate grownups need to be reminded that their actions are improper and that they should not set a bad example for impressionable youngsters.
