ST's one sided reporting.
I'm officially pissed with ST's one sided reporting, about the MRT system in Singapore. (Sunday Times, 19 November, pg 10)!
Accusation Number 1: Singaporeans have a better train system, compared to London, Tokyo and New York
Rebuttal
1) You are comparing Singapore's less than 20 year old system with system that are above the age of 50? (London's tube is more than 100 years old). Of course Singapore's system will look better. Why not compare it with Thailands' Skytrain, Malaysia's LRT, or Hong Kong's MTR? By using examples from these "global cities", what impression are you trying to create?
2) You ask expatriates who are "executive creative director", "business develoment manager", and "business development executive" to try the MRT. Do they sound like they take the MRT often enough to know the problems? And if this is their first try (chances are it is), of course they are less piss. Try squeezing into trains packed with people 2 times a day, 5 times a week. See if you will get pissed.
Accusation Number 2: Singaporeans don't move to the centre of the train
Rebuttal
1) Have you taken enough trains to know what's going on? Yes, Singaporeans tend not to move to the centre of the trian, but that doesn't mean that there is no one in the centre of the train! And if Singaporeans are to pack the middle of the carriage as much as they pack the doors, that means we would have to stand on the feet of those who are seated. In another words, they have no way of leaving their seat to exit the train
"In a city like Tokyo, they are shoved against each other."
What are you trying to imply by using the term "in a city like Tokyo?" Are you saying that a global city like Tokyo, by default, as a global/world-class transport system? and that it is a norm for a global/world class transport system to have people packing like sardines?
It's not like we, commuters are asking for lots of space to stretch out. We are only asking for our personal comfort zone not to be intruded, no body to body contact. That's all! This is the social norm, this is the comfort personal zone almost everyone in Singapore has. Discounting couples who behave like Siamese Twins, have you seen anyone in Singapore having any form of body contact in any social context? Do you talk to your parents with the front of your body touching the back of your parents' back? If not, why are you expecting Singaporeans to do so with strangers? Why are you comparing it to other societies that have a different demograph and norms?
Besides, we are a TROPICAL climate. Aka everyone sweats more easily. Imagine the hygeine standard of everyone in the train.
What claims do you have that you are a "world-class" transport system if the system can't even provide the basic personal comfort zone to it's commuters? We are not talking about stretching space, just no body contact, which is a social norm. Would you like to have body contact with everyone 10 times a week, to and fro work? If not, shut the !@#$%!@# up and stop using expatraites' experience to say that we are spoiled. Is it to much to ask when we are voicing out our displeasure when our personal comfort zone has to be intruded?
Accusation Number 1: Singaporeans have a better train system, compared to London, Tokyo and New York
Rebuttal
1) You are comparing Singapore's less than 20 year old system with system that are above the age of 50? (London's tube is more than 100 years old). Of course Singapore's system will look better. Why not compare it with Thailands' Skytrain, Malaysia's LRT, or Hong Kong's MTR? By using examples from these "global cities", what impression are you trying to create?
2) You ask expatriates who are "executive creative director", "business develoment manager", and "business development executive" to try the MRT. Do they sound like they take the MRT often enough to know the problems? And if this is their first try (chances are it is), of course they are less piss. Try squeezing into trains packed with people 2 times a day, 5 times a week. See if you will get pissed.
Accusation Number 2: Singaporeans don't move to the centre of the train
Rebuttal
1) Have you taken enough trains to know what's going on? Yes, Singaporeans tend not to move to the centre of the trian, but that doesn't mean that there is no one in the centre of the train! And if Singaporeans are to pack the middle of the carriage as much as they pack the doors, that means we would have to stand on the feet of those who are seated. In another words, they have no way of leaving their seat to exit the train
"In a city like Tokyo, they are shoved against each other."
What are you trying to imply by using the term "in a city like Tokyo?" Are you saying that a global city like Tokyo, by default, as a global/world-class transport system? and that it is a norm for a global/world class transport system to have people packing like sardines?
It's not like we, commuters are asking for lots of space to stretch out. We are only asking for our personal comfort zone not to be intruded, no body to body contact. That's all! This is the social norm, this is the comfort personal zone almost everyone in Singapore has. Discounting couples who behave like Siamese Twins, have you seen anyone in Singapore having any form of body contact in any social context? Do you talk to your parents with the front of your body touching the back of your parents' back? If not, why are you expecting Singaporeans to do so with strangers? Why are you comparing it to other societies that have a different demograph and norms?
Besides, we are a TROPICAL climate. Aka everyone sweats more easily. Imagine the hygeine standard of everyone in the train.
What claims do you have that you are a "world-class" transport system if the system can't even provide the basic personal comfort zone to it's commuters? We are not talking about stretching space, just no body contact, which is a social norm. Would you like to have body contact with everyone 10 times a week, to and fro work? If not, shut the !@#$%!@# up and stop using expatraites' experience to say that we are spoiled. Is it to much to ask when we are voicing out our displeasure when our personal comfort zone has to be intruded?
posted by yanjie at
8:13 PM
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