Commuter sees boy on MRT priority seat, goes through rollercoaster ride of emotions
When Stomper Jie Ren saw a boy sitting on a priority seat on an MRT train, the first thing he felt was anger.
The sight, however, soon left him reflective and contemplating societal issues in a wider context.
Jie Ren shared a photo of the boy taken on Sept 27, at around 7.35am, and said: "Here we see what is presumably a student taking a good nap on one of the supposed 'priority' seats.
"Having to stand myself and, of course, remembering all the times I had to give up my seat to the elderly, pregnant, etc, I couldn't help but feel a tiny surge of indignation. Should a 'youngster' so haughtily take up a seat and nap in it when there were many others who could use it more during peak hours?
"That being said, having remembered this was the period for the Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE), my momentary anger subsided and I couldn't help but conduct an introspection on my emotions as well as who really 'qualifies' for the said seat.
"This question can be expanded to the broader context of Singapore: What is the condition of graciousness in Singapore?
"What I really mean by this question is, who is truly entitled to 'graciousness' in Singapore and how do we reconcile our own subjective criteria for 'graciousness' with that of society?
"In my opinion, the answer to this question boils down to a confluence of empathy, an awareness of others, and one's conscience.
"Before casting judgement on others, it would be adequate to consider what societal (such as exam periods) and personal circumstances might have led to 'ungracious' behaviour.
"On the flip side, such considerations may open one up to the fact that there may be many others worthy of 'graciousness'.
"We also ought to have basic awareness of others around us instead of being ignorant (wilful or otherwise) and pretending we are the only ones deserving of 'graciousness'.
"Last but not least, all this relies on our capacity for basic human decency and whether we have the conscience to conduct 'gracious' deeds."
