Courtesy campaigns have not yielded results. We need to press on
http://www.straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/forum/story/0,5562,356425,00.html?We are supposed to give our seats to senior citizens on buses and MRT trains.
Yet I have observed many times on the buses that our senior citizens put their shopping bags on the seat next to them. This prevents other people from sitting. Students tend to do this too with their school bags.
In Australia, commuters on buses and trains are reminded not to place any baggage on empty seats. I hope the SBS will do this too.
As our society progresses, it is sad that we become more indifferent to our neighbours' need. This could be the result of living in a concrete jungle, compared to the good old days of kampong-living. We hardly mix with our neighbours, especially in HDB apartments.
Only a handful of residents join in the activities of the RCs and NCs. Hence the social behaviour to share and be considerate with our fellow neighbours is lacking.
This inadvertently develops into self-centredness. My rights are more important than others and I'll do what I want regardless of the environment. It's a decadence of social courtesy. It's shameful.
Our national courtesy campaign each year yields little results. It is like when the traffic police are around, most drivers behave but when they aren't around, the drivers' true colour reveals.
It takes two to tango. Senior citizens should show an exemplary example to the young. The schools should emphasise social etiquette with regard to the students' behaviour on buses and MRT trains.
The younger generation will be the senior citizens one day. The cycle is never ending. Eventually we may achieve a graceful society of courteous citizens.
Patrick Lee Song Juan
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The next time a guy tries to rush into the train before I can alight, I am going to step on his foot with my high heals.
