SMRT incident strikes a chord.
Am sitting in Starbucks at The Cathay having breakfast, getting some work done, and waiting for the sister to finish her auditions for SOTA at 12pm. Thought it timely to spend some time typing a blog post.
Yesterday, I watched a video uploaded by The New Paper.
And it made me think.
I am someone who believes in honorifics and showing respect to my elders. Even when someone older talks down to me, I take it all in and refrain myself from talking back because, at the end of the day, I respect that they are older and thus should not be treated rudely by myself. EVEN when they may not be in the right.
However, such a video makes me feel so disappointed in the elderly of today. Sure, she did not give up her seat at the very first moment (though we will not really know the full story since the video was only taken after the elderly lady "won" her throne), but the fact of the matter is, she did. Even when she was being harshly talked to in the beginning, she chose to keep silent, knowing that she should have given up her seat without being asked and knowing that the person she was being talked down to was someone more senior than her.
What struck me was the attitude in which she was talked to by the elderly.
Did she own the seat? Am I OBLIGED to give her the seat? Should she ASSUME that I MUST give up my seat? I paid the same fare as her. Why can't the other person next to me, who spotted she had a bad leg, and who is more able-bodied, give up THEIR seat? Should I even be sexist and say that the man next to me should have been the gentleman and give up HIS seat instead?
I think, I know my answer to my question: Yes, I should give her my seat because it has been termed a "priority seat" for someone who needs it more than myself. Furthermore, I should have given her my seat REGARDLESS of it being reserved for people like her, simply because of the person I have been brought up to be. BUT, should I be SCOLDED into giving up my seat? And then be called names? And my photo taken to be published to show what kind of a woman I am? Eh. Hello. I gave you my seat. I think you may question my person if I had INSISTED on sitting and REFUSED to give up my seat.
I now question my support of having a "Priority Seat". Though I understand the logic of the corner seats being more convenient for our elderly to access the exit when alighting, I feel it has become a system made used of and even abused by ourselves.
Does this mean that someone who is not feeling well is not entitled to the corner seat, since it is clearly not reserved for them? Does this mean that people from the other seats should not give up their seats because those seats are "not reserved for other people what". This issue of priority seating now comes across as a way for people to demand and assume they have a right to be unreasonable, and for others to shift responsibilty to the person seated in the "priority seat". Are we teaching the young of today to shift responsibility instead of taking it?
So do I want to teach my child:
"Okay ah, you don't sit priority seat, then you don't need to give people your seat."
Instead of:
"You can sit anywhere you want, but if you see someone who needs it more than you, please give it up to them."
I constantly give up my seat, which was never a "priority seat" mind you, to grateful passengers, while "selfish" others remained happy in their "priority seats". And I've seen others do the same, examplary citizens who choose to sacrifice their comfort for someone else's simply because of graciousness and kindness. Shouldn't we take such photos of such acts of kindness, publish them, and show that we are a nation of kind people, instead of doing the latter and slamming those who do not give up their seats?
So, here's my reply to senior citizens who abuse their rights and assume we younger generation are not brought up to be gracious and kind and respectful to our elders when such a situation would have ended in a different way if she had just been reasonable:
"Okay, enough!"
Yesterday, I watched a video uploaded by The New Paper.
Click to viewAnd it made me think.
I am someone who believes in honorifics and showing respect to my elders. Even when someone older talks down to me, I take it all in and refrain myself from talking back because, at the end of the day, I respect that they are older and thus should not be treated rudely by myself. EVEN when they may not be in the right.
However, such a video makes me feel so disappointed in the elderly of today. Sure, she did not give up her seat at the very first moment (though we will not really know the full story since the video was only taken after the elderly lady "won" her throne), but the fact of the matter is, she did. Even when she was being harshly talked to in the beginning, she chose to keep silent, knowing that she should have given up her seat without being asked and knowing that the person she was being talked down to was someone more senior than her.
What struck me was the attitude in which she was talked to by the elderly.
Did she own the seat? Am I OBLIGED to give her the seat? Should she ASSUME that I MUST give up my seat? I paid the same fare as her. Why can't the other person next to me, who spotted she had a bad leg, and who is more able-bodied, give up THEIR seat? Should I even be sexist and say that the man next to me should have been the gentleman and give up HIS seat instead?
I think, I know my answer to my question: Yes, I should give her my seat because it has been termed a "priority seat" for someone who needs it more than myself. Furthermore, I should have given her my seat REGARDLESS of it being reserved for people like her, simply because of the person I have been brought up to be. BUT, should I be SCOLDED into giving up my seat? And then be called names? And my photo taken to be published to show what kind of a woman I am? Eh. Hello. I gave you my seat. I think you may question my person if I had INSISTED on sitting and REFUSED to give up my seat.
I now question my support of having a "Priority Seat". Though I understand the logic of the corner seats being more convenient for our elderly to access the exit when alighting, I feel it has become a system made used of and even abused by ourselves.
Does this mean that someone who is not feeling well is not entitled to the corner seat, since it is clearly not reserved for them? Does this mean that people from the other seats should not give up their seats because those seats are "not reserved for other people what". This issue of priority seating now comes across as a way for people to demand and assume they have a right to be unreasonable, and for others to shift responsibilty to the person seated in the "priority seat". Are we teaching the young of today to shift responsibility instead of taking it?
So do I want to teach my child:
"Okay ah, you don't sit priority seat, then you don't need to give people your seat."
Instead of:
"You can sit anywhere you want, but if you see someone who needs it more than you, please give it up to them."
I constantly give up my seat, which was never a "priority seat" mind you, to grateful passengers, while "selfish" others remained happy in their "priority seats". And I've seen others do the same, examplary citizens who choose to sacrifice their comfort for someone else's simply because of graciousness and kindness. Shouldn't we take such photos of such acts of kindness, publish them, and show that we are a nation of kind people, instead of doing the latter and slamming those who do not give up their seats?
So, here's my reply to senior citizens who abuse their rights and assume we younger generation are not brought up to be gracious and kind and respectful to our elders when such a situation would have ended in a different way if she had just been reasonable:
"Okay, enough!"