Written by: Tan Joi Yii (4D 2023)
One memorable experience that has shaped me to become a better person took place on a public transport. Though many people think that learning is contained in the classroom, I believe that any experience outside the classroom is equally impactful. Perhaps it was the location and setting that made this incident so memorable.
It happened on one sombre morning, where the sky was filled with sunken clouds that seemed as though they were about to erupt any moment. A sea of eager office workers was craning their necks every second, in hopes that their buses would arrive soon. Once their buses arrived, they elbowed each other so that they could board the bus first. The office workers were extremely dissatisfied with the long waiting time, as seen from their sour faces. Many of their faces were as dark as the clouds that sagged above. After ten agonising minutes of waiting, I trudged straight to the back of the bus. My legs were heavy and sore from standing at the bus stop for what felt like a century long. Soon after, a middle-aged office worker boarded the bus. His movements were slow but steady. He immediately requested the person sitting on the priority seat to give up her seat to him. However, the young lady was reluctant and relentless, in which she insisted on sitting as she had sat first. The lady sighed, “Are you disabled? I need to sit as the floor is clearly wet, I might slip and fall if I stand!”. She was filled with exasperation and her disgruntled tone echoed in that tiny bus. I peered over and saw that the man was limping slightly, but looked healthy and fit just like a middle-aged worker. The man was as a loss for words, fearful of interjecting her.
Thoughts started to race around my head as I recalled the topic taught during the recent Character and Citizenship Education lesson the week before. The teacher had mentioned about public transport etiquette, and reminded the class that we have to take the initiative to give up our seat whenever we see someone in need. Adding to that point, she also reiterated that “invisible disabilities” is something that we all have to bear in mind. At that moment, millions of thoughts were running through my mind. Maybe he is disabled? Maybe he injured himself recently and needs to sit? We do not know…
I was suddenly pulled back from my thoughts as I witnessed people apologising before my eyes. The man had explained to the lady that he had injured his leg and would require to sit near the bus entrance. Soon after, as the lady walked off the bus, it felt as though one evil soul has been eradited from this world. The man reclined inch by inch onto the bus seat and let out a sigh, “Just another typical day on the bus.”
That one experience made me reflect so deeply about being a responsible public transport user. It dawned on me that being an understanding and considerate user would strongly impact other passengers. Moreover, our attitude and mindset also shape others’ experience on a public transport. Before this incident happened, I did not really realise the importance of being a considerate public transport user. However, through this experience, I understood the importance of sparing a thought for those in need and that a public transport is indeed a place that is shared by everyone. We also should not blatantly assume that someone is able-bodied just because he or she looks healthy, just like how the lady assumed that the man was able-bodied. We have all been given the privilege to make use of Singapore’s public transport to navigate through the blueprint of our little red dot, and we should not take it for granted by being self-centred. Furthermore, being on public transport calls for a certain degree of understanding and basic courtesy.
All in all, I am very grateful to experience first hand what I should not be doing on public transport. No doubt, I have taken away a handful of values, but one value that is especially crucial is being a civic-minded public transport user.
MJR World of Words 