Don't.. Just Don't

This is a post dedicated to strange observations on users of Singapore's public transportation system that have caused Tintin much distress.

The Reader

The Reader is typically the middle-aged man that is taking in the latest news from the papers. It also takes the form of an OL (office lady for short) who is catching up on her latest Chinese romantic novel. Not that it is a crime to read on the train. In fact, the Reader is good compared to the "Player" below, but when commuters are likened to sardines packed in a can, space is really a premium. Personal reading material vs standing room for a fellow passenger? I believe many will agree that they will prefer a little bit more shoulder room.

The Player

The Player is a recent phenomenon on the trains and buses, ever since iphones, mp4 players and mobile phones games became extremely affordable. The usual suspects range from students who love to flaunt their IT gadgets, to middle-aged adults who needs to be entertained even for a short 20 minutes train ride. I call this syndrome "instant gratification on the move". It becomes more unbearable when the Player don't use the headphones and subject their fellow passengers to the irritating sound effects. Honestly, I will really prefer the Reader.

The Sprinter/Door Guardian

It is interesting to note the high correlation between these 2 observations. The Sprinter tends to disregard basic etiquette of giving way to alighting passengers, and will spare no effort in jostling to enter the doors ahead of everybody else. Yet, they seldom take more than 5 steps after entering the cabin, and will affixed themselves to the side of the door or nearest handrail and stay put. No guesses why they are hugely unpopular when there is plenty of standing room inside the train. You just have to weave through the Door Guardians to get to that spacious spot.

The Manicurist

I dare to say this is made up wholly of women. Correction. Women with no sense of civic-mindedness. The Manicurist is not the professional pampering your extremities at the nail spa, but aunties and OLs who think they do not have duty to keep the bus clean. Yes, the tiny bits of nails may be almost invisible to the next passenger, but I am sure they wouldn't like anyone doing the same thing in their bedrooms. It seems the Manicurists really nothing else better to do during their bus ride. Yours truly just cannot help telling off the person when he hears those "clicking" noises of the nail cutter. If they don't get what I mean, I will challenge them to pick up their nails from the dirty floor. The few aunties immediately got what I meant.

The Dresser

Girls have to be reminded they are in the train and not in the girl's room. Why are they posing shamelessly in front of the glass windows, doing their hair, adjusting their bra straps, or doing their make-up (and I mean the works i.e. everything - foundation, loose powder, rouge, lipstick, eyeliner, eyelash curlers, mascara etc) in the public transport? Uurrgh! It's worse if they are plain U-G-L-Y, and no amount of dolling up is going to make them prettier.