'Why does no one give up their seats to me on the train when I'm visibly disabled?' — 21 y/o foreign student visiting Singapore asks
SINGAPORE: A 21-year-old Aussie student, 'visibly disabled' and currently in Singapore on a study tour, shared on social media that no commuter has ever offered her a seat on the MRT.
Posting on the r/askSingapore subreddit on Monday (Jun 16), she explained that in addition to using a cane, she also wears a sunflower lanyard (an indication that someone has a disability in her home country). Even so, she said that during her trips on the train, commuters either ignore her or remain too absorbed in their own worlds to notice her discomfort.
She also mentioned that commuters in Singapore seem to disregard priority seating. 'I noticed that the seats on the end are supposed to be the accessible ones and even say above them to give the seats up for someone who needs it, but people don't even acknowledge me… I even said quite loudly to my friends when we got on 'Oh I can't stand for very long' and still no one paid attention,' she wrote.
She went on to share how difficult it has been standing on a packed train. 'I clearly struggle to stand for very long as I get wobbly, especially on the train. I have to hook my arm fully around the 3 metal prong thing in the middle and lean all my weight onto it just to even keep myself standing up.'
In one instance, she recalled almost losing her balance before a seat finally opened up. By then, she was already in tears from the pain, which she tried to hide.
'I don't want to be rude and directly ask someone to move as I feel it's wrong to do so. It's just that I was very close to falling on the floor before a seat was free,' she said.
At the end of her post, she asked the locals, 'Just wondering if this is a common occurrence for locals too, or if there's something specific as to why this is happening? Am I supposed to ask? It feels rude to ask, but I genuinely need the seat.'
'I am unsure if maybe they don't see me as being 'disabled enough' because I'm young? Or maybe they don't respect me because I'm foreign? These are very broad assumptions and I do understand that there's probably an entirely different reason but it's just kind of crazy to me because in Australia, people immediately move from the accessible seats when they see a disabled person getting on the bus or train.' 'Different countries have different cultures…'
In the thread, many locals encouraged the student to speak up instead of waiting silently and hoping someone would notice.
One person said, 'The sad truth is that people will sit when they can, and once they do, they're usually glued to their phones or not paying attention. So yes, it's not really common courtesy here, unlike in some other countries.'
They added, 'But Singaporeans are not all mean and unfeeling. If you had asked, most people would've given up their seats if they could. If you asked and no one gave up their seats, then you're in the right to complain.'
Another chimed in, 'Just ask? 'May I have the seat? Thanks.' Telling your friends you can't stand long and expecting people to offer the seat is so paggro (passive-aggressive). Nobody knows what the sunflower lanyard is, just like you can't buy things here with AUD… you can request a lanyard at the MRT station office, it's for people with invisible disability.'
A third user pointed out, 'Nobody can read your mind. Different countries have different cultures. You can't expect every country to be like Australia.'
Despite some of the critical responses, a few users did validate her experience, pointing out that getting a seat on the MRT can be difficult even for the elderly, pregnant individuals, and those with visible or invisible disabilities.
One shared, 'I am very heavily pregnant and people still fight me for seats. One young girl even sprinted over to take a seat directly in front of me while I was waiting for the person to get off the train. Welcome to Singapore.' Free lanyards for those who need a seat
If you have an invisible medical condition and find it hard to stand during your commute, you can get a 'May I Have a Seat Please?' yellow lanyard or sticker for free at any Passenger Service Centre in MRT stations, bus interchanges, or TransitLink Ticket Offices.
Read also: Daughter says her mum and sibling pushed her to give 10% of her salary to her estranged dad, who brought her 'so much trauma' for the sake of filial piety
Featured image by freepik (for illustration purposes only)
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