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New news (Monday, December 1, 2008!)


What is it with Singaporeans loving to post pictures of MRT nuisances up on STOMP?
Is this what citizen journalism is for?

Ever since that has been introduced in Singapore, we get pages and pages of pictures showing Singaporeans not giving up seats on the MRT. People have been treating the opportunity for amateur journalism as a avenue for complaint. I find it really annoying to open the paper and see another picture of a lady carrying her baby standing in the MRT with non-needy people sitting in the background, oblivious to both the standee and the camera secretly filming their "crimes".

I agree that it reflects badly on those people sitting down, but seriously, the inconsideration of Singaporeans is old news.

And you know what I think it reflects about those people who take these pictures and post it on the paper?
One: Cowards. If you are really so concerned about that poor old lady standing there while the fit, healthy young lady on high heels is seating in the "priority seat", go and tell her to give up her seat! You posting a picture of her face mosaic is not going to make a freaking difference, by the time the paper decides to feature your grainy snapshot after the first 200 the old lady has already hobbled off the train and the pregnant woman would have given birth. If you want to make an instant difference, tell it to the person sitting down there and then! Sure he/she'll be a little embarassed, but I'm sure he/she will give up the seat after that, and if you do it quietly, nicely and discreetly, surely you'll be sparing them from the embarassment that awaits having their grainy faces on the daily paper. If he/she refuses, and make a scene, it will reflect badly on themselves, and you've already done your best. They are giving up the opportunity to gain good karma. If your excuse to hide behind "Anonymous" is only to avoid making a scene, then I only have one word for you: COWARD. You'll be better off being apathetic, stop pretending you're some magnaminous person doing good for the whole country.

Two: Sadistic. You enjoy embarassing another person, liking to portray them in a negative light so that you seem like the good person. The person might have been tired, that person might be ill, or nursing a sprained ankle, or a really bad day where they got fired, their spouses ran away or someone they loved passed away a few weeks ago. For all I know you might have been sitting down yourself while snapping this picture. Are those sitting necessarily the bad guys? Sure they might be inconsiderate, but I really don't think this is what citizen journalism is all about. If you have something to complain about, please post it in a corner only other complaint-kings will read or where you can get money by sadistically suing some poor company just trying to do their best.

We don't need another person telling us that Singaporeans are inconsiderate, and we have enough proof IRL around us without including your 15629th grainy picture. We don't need more reminders: we need some *change*. Sure there's something wrong with Singaporeans not giving up seats, but is your picture going to make much of a difference? 15630th time lucky, you reckon? I would value some constructive opinion instead, not useless complaints. Or some concrete action, like telling the person to give up their seats. Bold and audacious, perhaps, but not if you do it very politely,earnestly and humbly, not with the tone of an arrogant bastard who claims "Right of Law" (yes, I've seen those people who think that because they have the law behind them, they're big shots.), surely nobody can fault you. They might even be grateful for you interference. And at least it's upfront. But if you think I'm being too ideal and too optimistic about Singaporeans' reactions, then fine, keep your mouth shut. Don't resort to underhand methods just to please yourself. Nobody is interested, nobody benefits.

And I want to raise another point as well. You might say that these reminders can in turn influence others to be more conscious of their actions. If so, why not post good examples instead? Why does nobody bother to take pictures of people who do give up their seats? You can't say it doesn't happen- I'd say between the people who don't give up seats to those who do, the ratio gap can only be maximum 2:1. It's just that nobody bothers to take pictures of these people. "It's only expected, such a simple gesture!" Well breaking news, it's just as, if not MORE expected for people to want to rest after a long day and be reluctant to give up seats. It's just your lame excuse to make it sound like you're not complaining. Why don't people award the good behaviour instead? Why only punish and complain?

No matter how you try to argue, the fact is people just enjoy complaining, and now they're bringing it onto public platforms. Complain complain complain. Stop it! If you want to complain, limit it to your blog and affect your own viewership. Or have accompanying contructive criticism. I hope I've been able to avoid the hard whack of Iron-y in this post, if anyone spots any irony about thispost please inform me. Otherwise, I justify this complaint post about complains by pointing out that I do offer constructive criticism and that it is my own blog, so there.

I just wish to see a better society of people who are just abit less judgmental. And I guess different people have differant methods of trying to do their part. I don't blame them... but I personally find a distaste for their methodology. But I guess that's just me. Most of my friends that I asked think that these budding shutterbugs are doing Singapore a favour. But when will we learn that all of us are not perfect, and instead of constantly trying to point out our imperfectons, we should work towards correcting them instead? I'm sure most of us already know our imperfections, and the imperfections of our society: apathy, inconsiderate, oppressive and other adjectives starting with vowels in the English alphabet, the rest of the English alphabet, as well as the Latin, Greek and Hebrew alphabet. We need to start working on these flaws. And the government does put in good effort... but that's a different story altogether. I don't want to argue about government again. (x

Oh well, it feels good to air my views. Keep smiling everyone, and remember to give up your seats to the needy on public transport unless you want to see yourself mosaiced on The New Paper! (x



isnt it a super great argument piece?
it's written by my bestie ivy wong from rjc.
sorry ivy i didnt inform you.
dont be shocked when you see this post.
HAHAHAAAAA.

but,
i really really love your posts.
SUPER LOVE!:D