reserved seating

i am not sure if i have talked about this particular issue before. maybe just in conversations with friends and family members. well, anyhow i am going to talk about this here. before i go on, let me make one thing clear. i value people.. regardless of race, religion, gender and age. that being said, let’s move on.

this particular seat or movement or whatever you called it has hit Singapore for years now. go back a decade or so ago, this probably have not existed. this, i’m referring to all this time, is the reserved seat. you see in on buses and trains these days. they even have stickers pasted brightly to “remind” people to think about of those people who are more in need of seats. while i believe this is rather positive in terms of reminding the people to be thoughtful, this has bring about a ripple effect on the seats on the public transport generally.

be it the seats are labelled as reserved or not people would always have the expectation of seats are for the elderly, pregnant ladies, the injured/handicapped. so much so, i heard a lady near me recently commenting to her colleague that “all youngsters shouldn’t seat down”. i swear those were her exact words. then it hit me. everyone pays the same fair. everyone has the right to seat down. to me, giving a seat to one who needs it more is a social obligation and is a rather noble act in public. however, seats, reserved or not, are not the right to some and privilege to others. seats are first-come-first serve.

yes, i am happy to give up my seat and also to see others doing so. but i am just pretty disturbed by what that middle-aged lady mentioned that day. her words are not unique. we witness such a notion daily. if you don’t believe me, observe carefully the next time on a crowded train. observe what happens when someone who needs a seat walks in. observed everyone glancing around in silence and some glaring at the youngest/healthiest commuter who is sitting down, as though expecting him/her to give up the seat.. regardless if the seat is reserved or not. just observe.

at the end of the day, i would like to say that seats are more of a privilege than a right. everyone pays the fare. giving up one’s seat is a social obligation. yes, it is always nicer to see acts of kindness now and then as well.