‘I didn't even see elderly woman’

There are also good people taking MRT.
I am 63 years old uncle, bald but fit.
Last Monday morning 9am I boarded Sembawang MRT to go to Dhoby Ghaut, a young man immediately stood up and offered his seat with a smile.
The return trip on that 6pm afternoon, the train was packed, I stood and closed my eyes. After a while, a young lady offered her seat by tapping on my shoulder.
They are beautiful people I thanked. I wish to say thank you to them again.
Last week I went to Hong Kong for holiday. An old aunty boarded the HK subway and a young boy immediately offer his seat. HK subway are crowded all the time.
Last year I went BangKok for holiday. A pregnant lady boarded their MRT and a young boy and young girl ( both about 10 years old) offer their seats with smiles.
Those sleeping on our reserved MRT seats may had their own valid reasons. Please be gracious and don't judge them.
Or I may be lucky for meeting nice people most of the time..

I once boarded a crowded train with my elderly mother. She badly needed a seat as she had arthritis. She moved from one corner where passengers on the reserved seat were already seated with elderlies to another end of the row where two young china national ladies were sitting. One was already asleep. The other one immediately closed the eyes to pretend to rest. The first one woke up, saw my mother in front. Immediately, she tried to fall asleep again. She actually struggled, and couldn't fall asleep again, but she continued to try, like it's a mission.

The feedback from my mother is that singaporeans in general give up seats to her. Young, and middle age. Chinese, muslim and indians.

However, the women from china typically refused to move their butt. They have lots of excuses.

I had in the past even seen china woman quarreling with a middle aged man on the bus, after she blocked the middle of the bus while the middle aged man tried to excuse himself (and the china woman still refused to move). He was being scolded by the china woman loud and clear in the bus to the extent the man had to defend. The man was also being accused of pushing her aside, though I would say it's a reasonable, polite "squeeze through" which anyone would have done. I saw all these with my eyes.

What more can I say? Just sharing some experiences.

i think we should stop thinking that a person who seats in a reserved seats should give up their seats. generally reserved seats or not, people should gave up their seats to those who needs it more/deserves a seat not only in trains but in buses as well..

What about other passengers? Why people follow only the SIGN above the reserved seat to give up that reserved seat? Why didn't any passenger sitting on other seats give up thier seats. Singaporeans, please shows that you care for the old, don't just wait for those sitting on the reserved seat to give up their seat...think this way, you will be old too in the future.

Visit Taiwan and you will see the difference. Youngster do not take up reserved seats even when there are nobody around. It stems from the heart, its automatic.
This ethics must be taught in school when they are young. Too late to teach them when they grow up. Our primary education is a failure - no more good citizen books or Confucious study in school anymore - only teach students how to get high grade and high salary.

I believe that the Reserved Seats in our MRT trains are not meant strictly
for the elderly and the disabled. Those who do not belong to those categories
can still occupy them, AS LONG AS THEY GIVE THEM UP TO ANY
ELDERLY, DISABLED PERSON OR WOMAN IN THE FAMILY WAY standing
near them.
Hence, when they occupy these seats, they should not be reading or pretending
to fall asleep; they have an obligation to look out for these people standing near
them, to offer them the seats.

It's probably shocking for you to receive such overwhelming critics for something you that might have overlook... however, there's a rationale way to interpret your behaviour. 1) Since you're thoughtful enough to take a south-bound train from Dhoby Ghaut to Marina Bay in order to secure a seat on the north-bound train to Choa Chu Kang, wouldn't you be equally thoughtful to know that there may be commuters whom needs the Reserved seats more than you during your "long occupying" journey? 2) Sitting on a Reserved seat is not wrong but be prepared to give it up for the needy if you're fitter one. And what curious me is since you're boarding from the 1st stop, why aren't you sitting on non-reserved seat (u shld hav the choice then, otherwise wait for the next train) knowing that you may fall asleep after long day work? (btw, if u r tired, go back n rest don't go n watch movie). 3) entertaining oneself with music while riding train is perfectly ok but it shouldn't be a reason to shun away from your social responsibility. Be observant to your surrounding, don't always expect others to tell you what to do, when to give up seats, when to be gracious, etc... And this are the real Basic Things. 4) If you're wrong, be apologetic, this society accept ppl who wants to learn and deserve 2nd chance. If you agree, you should know what to do to end this episode. May God bless all of us.

The reserved seats are for people who are disadvantaged physically.
When the train is fairly empty, everyone may use them but they should use it with the obligation and responsibility and alertness. NOBODY likes to ASK a fellow to give up these seats to a disadvantaged passenger. so use the seats, by all means but you should stay alert to give up seat.
disadvantaged passengers may need the handrail to help them get up and sit down, so even when not crowded, these seats are better left for them.

LOL..they are always sleeping but never miss their stops. Amazing!

What a shame, when heard people saying negative things she would then given up the reserved seat. All your education and learning goes down the drain.

If you are feeling sleepy or have habit of dozing off then don't sit on reserved seat.

Well, if you don't teach your children some basic manners such as clearing their own trashes at MacDonnels or hawker centres, you don't expect them to give in to anything they think is their right. I have been in Bangkok for many years. From talking incessantly on the mobile phones while on the train or even inside the lift few years ago, the smartphone craze has caught up. Now, the Thai youngsters' fingers are on the keyboard of their Blackberry or Iphones even while they are keeping their balance on a crowded moving train. Giving up their seats to someone who needs it more are secondary to missing a second on their keyboard. In Singapore, the youngsters are even more pampered. Unlike the Thais, they are spared the punishment to walk up 3 or 4 levels to the platform. They need not have to worry falling into the railway track as most of the exposed stations already had safety doors fixed up. Although not as addicted to the smartphones as the Thais, the Singaporean youngsters are just too selfish and giving up their seat is not in their mental system. More educational campaigns are needed, both to the old and young.

Other news on Yahoo today said that Singapore's gross domestic product (GDP) could outpace Hong Kong's in the next few years, or even this year, according to Chua Hak Bin, an economist from the Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Here on this news we are debating should we give up our seat to elderly and physically disadvantaged people in the train. This, in many third countries their people don’t even have to debate. To them it is understood. We claimed we are a first world nation, our GDP is ones of the highest in the world, our education is ones of the best in the world as some claimed, we are a developed country as some claimed, our MRT is also ones of the best in the world as some claimed, our ministers pay is the highest in the world, our airport and airlines are ones of the best in the world, our city is ones of the cleanest in the world, our infrastructures are ones of the best in the world, etc, etc,,,, We got many things that are either the best or ones of the best in the world. But how about our MORALITY?

don't LIER! even i was pregnant and i give up seat to elderly with a cane standing infornt of the young girl which i seating oppt. that young girl pretend reading her book and listen to her music. the person seating beside her stand up and give me his seat. She saw me seated down and auto keep her book into her bag! what is happening in SINGAPORE where is all our Gracious & Righteous. Such a shy!

take reserved seat with utmost responsibility- don't sleep, be alert, give up seat

we should not seat on reserved seats when there is an elderly standing and we should not pretend to sleep or do anything to avoid them as though they are invisible....

don't give silly reasons for your inadequate manners. How can you claim to be a gracious person
when you cannot even show basic understanding of other people's needs.

it clearly states in this article that she took a train purposely to Marina Bay so she can secure a seat for her trip to Chua Chu Kang. So what do you think? SHE OBVIOUSLY WANTS TO STAY SEATED.

You can occupy a 'reserved' seat but you are socially responsible to keep a look out for needy people and let them take over the seat okay? SO MUCH EXCUSES.

i think there should be a clear line in raising awareness and intimidating commuters to give up seats via the media. attempt to ask for the seats before posting pictures straight away. its boring to see these news every week.

SLee no excuse is necessary. You should not be sitting there in the first place. I am an elderly person and also had a toe operation recently. I was standing with my walking stick infront of this young man who was playing on his handphone and sitting on the reserved seat. Another gentleman standing next to me asked if he should tell the young man to get off the seat. I told him let's wait and see.
However, a lady with a child, seated on the opposite reserved seat, stood up for me. thinking that she was going to get off the next stop, I sat down. When i got off 2 stops later, she still didn't get off but when the train was taking off, I saw her going back to sit down on the seat she had given up for me!

Shame on young people, especially young man who don't give up their seats! Need to be re-educated.