Should the tired commuter have given up his seat?
One man’s refusal to give up his seat for a mother and her child on the MRT has sparked a polarizing debate over whether what he did was wrong.
Many netizens have blasted the man, identified as Cuthbert Syn, for his lack of courtesy, with Celine Chia’s Facebook post garnering more than 9000 likes and 8000 shares before it was taken down.
Yahoo Singapore has contacted her regarding her reason for taking down her post, but has yet to receive a response at the time of posting.
One netizen tweeted, “Then is the lady with the child strapped to her not tired as well?? She’s carrying a heavier load than you. Where is the compassion??”
Many pointed out that the priority seat is meant for those who need it more and that he should have vacated his seat when asked.
But there's support for Syn as well
Some netizens have since come to his defense as well. One commenter on HardWareZone raised the point that giving up one’s seat to another is a privilege and not an entitlement. “Remember it’s their right since they pay the same ticket price too.”
Another commenter cautioned others against making snap judgments, pointing out that it is hard to know if someone is well or not. She gave a personal example of having to give up her seat while she was four months pregnant to another pregnant lady because her belly was bigger. She called for users to not “judge people base on what u see… cause it might not be what you think..”
One commentor on Yahoo Singapore's Facebook page agreed, stating, "I don't see why he should be singled out. Maybe he just lost his job or otherwise had a hard day, maybe he even has asthma. Everyone else seating in the other seats should also be equally guilty."
In the same comment thread, another user's comment garnered more than 500 likes. "If he doesn't want to voluntarily give up his seat, it is his prerogative. No law was broken and no crime was committed. Other passengers sitting around him can offer their seat. There is no need to make a mountain out of a molehill through cyber-bullying."
Body-shaming hashtag draws flak
Syn, the man at the centre of the controversy, later released a statement on his own Facebook page revealing that he has a heart condition and was not feeling well on that day.
This shed new light on the matter, after Celine Chia, All Singapore Stuff and Mothership's postings, which named him as ‘a fully able-bodied man’ who refused to give up his seat for another.
Whether his actions were wrong remains up to debate, but one disturbing thing to have arisen from this was body-shaming. Celine Chia, in her original Facebook post, used the hashtag “#BeingFatIsNotAnExcuse” and stated, “I never once slammed anyone in public before but today, I really mean it when I tell you that you need to lose your weight and your tiredness is a result of your obesity, not an excuse for refusing to give up your seat to the mother & child!!!”
Other social media commenters have jumped on the hate-bandwagon, using derogatory labels on Cuthbert Syn’s weight and body in comments verging on cyber-bullying.
“I have an issue with how the shaming went from no-give-up-seat shaming to fat shaming.” One commenter on Facebook pointed out.
Whether Cuthbert Syn’s actions were right or wrong, the resulting social media backlash raises the question of whether social media should be used to shame and bully individuals for perceived wrongdoing.
Do you think Cuthbert Syn should have given up his seat? Do you think the backlash he has faced is cyber-bullying? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.
