How Well, are PRCs Integrating Here?
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FACE-OFF ON BUS GETS UGLY
EGG ATTACK!
Female commuter's spray annoys passenger in front
Confrontation ends with one smashing eggs on the other
By Hedy Khoo
December 15, 2007
YOU could say that one woman egged the other on and neither would chicken out until one literally ended up with egg on her face.
This was what happened in an unusual fight between two female passengers onboard an SBS Transit bus yesterday.
It started with an exchange of words and ended with one of them swinging and smashing a plastic bag containing eggs at the other.
BROKEN SPECTACLES
The impact damaged more than the victim's pride. It also broke her pair of spectacles in two and bruised her face.
The police were later called in.
This incident took place yesterday morning as SBS Bus Service 65 was travelling along Bedok Reservoir Road.
The bus captain, Mr Thanabalan Subramaniam, 34, said that he was first alerted to the problem when he heard a woman shouting near the exit door of the bus.
According to some passengers, the incident was sparked by a middle-aged woman who was apparently using a spray on herself.
The spray affected a younger woman sitting in front of her and, when the latter confronted her, the older woman became upset.
She allegedly stuck out her leg to block the younger woman as she got up to alight.
A quarrel then erupted.
Mr Subramaniam said: 'I looked at the rearview mirror to see who it was.
'The next moment, I saw a middle-aged woman stand up from her seat and smash a plastic bag containing eggs against the head of a young woman who was standing at the exit.'
He described the aggressor as a plump woman who appeared to be in her 40s. The victim was a slim young woman in her 20s.
'The older woman swung her plastic bag and used it to hit the young woman at least two to three times,' he added.
The victim, he said, tried to block the blows with her arms, but to no avail.
Mr Subramanium stopped at the next bus-stop near Block 745 at Bedok Reservoir Road and rushed to the women to stop the fight.
It was 6.45am then.
'My first instinct was to check the young woman to see if she was injured. She was not bleeding, but she had egg running down the left side of her head and her T-shirt, and egg shells were stuck all over her,' he said.
'Her glasses were broken at the nose peg into two pieces. She had picked up one side, but couldn't find the other half.'
The attack left a trail of eggs near the exit, on the ceiling of the lower deck, the stairway and a window.
Mr Subramaniam said: 'I stepped between them and told them to stop fighting.'
But his words went unheeded as the women continued shouting at each other.
Mr Subramaniam said he did not understand their heated exchange as they spoke in Mandarin.
At one point, however, he heard the older woman shout in English: 'Why should I be scared, I'm Singaporean!'
Mr Subramaniam later found out that the younger woman was a Chinese national. She was with a female friend, who called the police on her handphone.
There were about 50 passengers on board, with about 20 on the lower deck, at the time.
Mr Subramaniam said: 'The other passengers were so shocked and frightened they quickly moved to the back and stood there.'
He had informed the control station by then and allowed the other passengers to alight and transfer to another bus.
The older woman then returned to her seat near the exit door.
FRIGHTENED
'She seemed to calm down when she realised the police were on their way. She even seemed frightened,' he recalled.
She had boarded the bus at Orchard Road and he had recognised her as he often saw her on his bus.
The younger woman, who was dressed in an orange T-shirt and jeans, continued to shout angrily at her assailant.
'The older woman suddenly apologised to the young woman. She said 'sorry' in English once,' Mr Subramaniam said.
But what she did next in an apparent attempt to appease the young woman backfired.
Mr Subramanium recounted: 'I saw her take out $10 from her wallet and offer it to the young woman who got even more upset.
'She shouted at her even more fiercely while the older woman just kept quiet.
'She then put the money back into her wallet.
'The young woman looked so angry that even her friend did not dare to stand near her. Instead, she stood beside me while waiting for the police to arrive.'
Mr Subramaniam said he was concerned about handling the situation when the attack occurred.
'I was worried about the other passengers. It was almost peak hour and people were rushing to go to school and to work. I'm glad nobody else got hurt,' he said.
'It wasn't funny at that time, but now when I think about it, it looked like a movie scene. I have never seen people in real life fighting with eggs.'
The police said they received a call around 6.50am informing them of a dispute between two women on a bus along Bedok Reservoir Road.
When they arrived, they advised the two women to keep the peace and they complied.
FIRST TIME
Ms Tammy Tan, director of corporate communications, SBS Transit, said that while there have been fights onboard SBS buses, this is the first time that eggs were used.
She added that such incidents inconvenience passengers by disrupting their trips. The bus also had to be taken off service to be cleaned.
She said: 'The eggs were thrown with such force that they splattered all over the ceiling, seats and floor. We have had to take the bus off service to clean it.
'We realise that people do crazy things when they are angry, but this one takes the cake.' -
That had nothing to do with being Chinese. That was childish, cowardly and irresponsible behaviour on the Singaporean's part. And where did the collective bravery of the other passengers go? They're all a collective disgrace to any gracious community.
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That Singaporean woman is the aggressor. Yet, you are asking how well Chinese nationals are integrated? Once again, the blame gets shifted to the victim.
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the title shud read "hw well are prcs being accepted here?".
haha. -
Next time can try Cai Png.
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PRCs generally expect Singaporeans to bow to them because they come from a superior culture. They expect host countries to change and suit them cause they are the "better" people and we are low class labourers when we first came here.
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I'm more thinking that the local lady agressor, mya have lashed out in such a manner because of something she suffered because of PRCs here in SG...
... such as, maybe her hubby lost his job to a PRC? something like that..?
So naturally, she lost her cool when that young PRC said something and sparked her off...
I forsee more of such clashes to happen as the population of PRC here continues to grow.... -
Oh puh-lease, Hyper, that does not justify her sins at all. Even if that really happened, she deserves an earful for taking it out on a random stranger and not the person involved. Her pathetic attempt to compensate the victim is further evidence of her cowardice.
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Or rather she lost her hubby to a PRC?Originally posted by HyperFocal:I'm more thinking that the local lady agressor, mya have lashed out in such a manner because of something she suffered because of PRCs here in SG...
... such as, maybe her hubby lost his job to a PRC? something like that..?
So naturally, she lost her cool when that young PRC said something and sparked her off...
I forsee more of such clashes to happen as the population of PRC here continues to grow.... -
from this article, no matter what situation the elder woman was in, she shouldn't have taken it out on the PRC.
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Personally, I do not condone with actions of the elder woman, but then, as I have pointed out; there are locals out there who are less capable controlling their distaste and or hatred towards PRC whatever their reasons may be. But still, one should never raise one's hands on another.
Just keeping away from them, would be good enough. -
Let me try to make sense of what you're saying by paraphrasing it:Originally posted by HyperFocal:I'm more thinking that the local lady agressor, mya have lashed out in such a manner because of something she suffered because of PRCs here in SG...
'She acted in such a way towards a PRC because of the sins of another PRC towards her.'
Uh.... ok.... that still doesn't make sense to me. -
wow eggs.. next time time use watermeleon better
"The spray affected a younger woman sitting in front of her and, when the latter confronted her, the older woman became upset." i oso wonder wad did the younger woman said to the older woman.. if the young one said something offensive to the middle age one or accidentally embrassed her infront of the other passengers.. then it is not entirely the middle aged woman's fault wad.. -
At one point, however, he heard the older woman shout in English: 'Why should I be scared, I'm Singaporean!'Originally posted by metalcar:anyway.. how u noe the middle aged woman is a prc..
Hyper was referring to the Chinese victim. -
It seemed there is a lot of hidden bias by local against Chinese national n other nationalities. Thr older lady said she should not be scared cause
she is a local. Obviously if every local behaved like her n started to take out on foreigners, there will be trouble to social cohesion. -
It would make better sense, if you do not overlook the two words "may have"...Originally posted by fudgester:Let me try to make sense of what you're saying by paraphrasing it:
'She acted in such a way towards a PRC because of the sins of another PRC towards her.'
Uh.... ok.... that still doesn't make sense to me. -
I feel that if & should, Social Cohesion becomes distabilized, it isn't the fault of the people in our society, but the government who allowed PRCs to saturate our society...Originally posted by will4:It seemed there is a lot of hidden bias by local against Chinese national n other nationalities. Thr older lady said she should not be scared cause
she is a local. Obviously if every local behaved like her n started to take out on foreigners, there will be trouble to social cohesion. -
soon we have a new poster in buses
passengers have the right to travel in a violence-free environment -
It seemed the foreigner in here, some of them getting into conflict with local getting more n more.Originally posted by HyperFocal:I feel that if & should, Social Cohesion becomes distabilized, it isn't the fault of the people in our society, but the government who allowed PRCs to saturate our society... -
What to do?Originally posted by HyperFocal:I feel that if & should, Social Cohesion becomes distabilized, it isn't the fault of the people in our society, but the government who allowed PRCs to saturate our society...
In 1990s, Singapore population
approx 2.5million.
Now (2007) 4.5millions. In another word, close to 40% Singaporeans are foreign-born. Approx 1.8 millions taking into consideration of Singapore low birth rate.
Soon, when the government raises the population to 5-6millions, we will have more China-born Singaporeans than Singapore-born Singaporeans. How irony. By that time, we will be the minority loh. -
The population of foreigner in Spore is 1 million, which is not including PR.Originally posted by Spartans:What to do?
In 1990s, Singapore population approx 2.5million.
Now (2007) 4.5millions. In another word, close to 40% Singaporeans are foreign-born. Approx 1.8 millions taking into consideration of Singapore low birth rate.
Soon, when the government raises the population to 5-6millions, we will have more China-born Singaporeans than Singapore-born Singaporeans. How irony. By that time, we will be the minority loh. -
Uh.... no, it's still a lot of nonsense to me.Originally posted by HyperFocal:It would make better sense, if you do not overlook the two words "may have"...
Because the sins of others do not justify her actions. At all. -
hmm I am talking about foreign-born turned citizen aka foreign born Singaporeans. Not talking about foreigners. cheers.Originally posted by will4:The population of foreigner in Spore is 1 million, which is not including PR. -
U mean thsoe 40% of foreigner converted to become local citizen? I think the govt is trying to boost the local population. There are already 800000Originally posted by Spartans:What to do?
In 1990s, Singapore population approx 2.5million.
Now (2007) 4.5millions. In another word, close to 40% Singaporeans are foreign-born. Approx 1.8 millions taking into consideration of Singapore low birth rate.
Soon, when the government raises the population to 5-6millions, we will have more China-born Singaporeans than Singapore-born Singaporeans. How irony. By that time, we will be the minority loh.
local elderly people. Spore's problem is they based the quantity, not quality. -
There are getting more foreigner but it seemed the local people here are quite scared of them.