[Usually I picked on silly forum letters. But this one not silly. It was the online comment (after the letter) that caught my eye. Uncourteous and ungracious and barely forgiveable. Rude and obnoxious (in this situation) speaks of an entitlement mentality and a self-centredness that would shame his parents.]
Oct 28, 2010
I AM almost seven months pregnant and I take the MRT and bus to work daily. During the course of my pregnancy, fewer than 10 people have given up their seats to me.
Last week, I was standing in front of a priority seat on the MRT. The person sitting on it got up as he was getting off the train, but a man in his 40s brushed past me to grab the seat.
[May be "racist" of me, but I suspect he's from China.]
In his haste, he pushed me just as the train was leaving the station. I almost lost my balance but he pretended not to notice me and fell asleep. I can understand that he was eager to get the seat, but I cannot accept such ungracious behaviour.
People have bumped into my tummy with their huge backpacks and handbags, and I have endured jerky train rides with no poles for me to hold on to as some commuters choose to lean on them. I have also had my feet trampled on and been pushed as some passengers rush to alight without so much as an 'excuse me'.
Is it so difficult for us to practise some graciousness in our everyday life? Pregnant women do not want to be treated like queens, but at the very least, be considerate to them. Even if no one gives up his seat to me, a person who asks if I would like to lean on the glass panel at the end of the row of seats would earn my gratitude, because at least someone notices and cares.
I have even given up my seat to an old woman who was walking with a tongkat. Are there no able-bodied young men or women around?
[Of course people will paint themselves in a good light, and yes, we only have her perspective. But the tone of her letter speaks of a lack of entitlement mentality that is laudable. I feel empathy for her and I wish Singaporeans would be more gracious, and I think she's right. A dim sum dolly ad is not going to work.]
I hope people can be more considerate to pregnant women and old folk. This is something our society needs to work on, and it can't be fixed with just a Dim Sum Dollies campaign.
Cai Suqi (Ms)
Online comment
An elderly passenger did not choose to be elderly. A handicapped passenger did not choose to be handicapped. Gestures of grace or sympathy are rightly due to them. But a pregnant passenger exercised her own free will, with eyes wide open, to be pregnant. So take responsibility for the decision you make, expect the vissicitudes of life that come with the decision, and shut up already.
Posted by: acsian12 at Thu Oct 28 10:50:54 SGT 2010
How rude. Wonder if writer is really from ACS or just trying to defame the school. Prime candidate for retroactive abortion. His/Her mother really wasted her time and made the wrong choice carrying it to term.
Obviously it is still a virgin. Or it would know that some women when getting pregnant (or trying to) close their eyes.
And of course the elderly has a choice whether to grow old... or die. Such closed minded "logic".
I highly recommend acsian12 to consider living fast, dying young and leaving a corpse. I don't know what it looks like so I can't say "good-looking corpse". Probably ugly. Like its soul.
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