Wed, Aug 15, 2007
The Straits Times
Why don't S'poreans take 'no eating' sign seriously?
By Andrew Chin
By Andrew Chin
IT was a sight to behold. Something that outraged Mr Tang Juen Tee so much he decided to capture the spectacle on camera.
On a crowded MRT train at 10pm last Tuesday, a man having his own little "picnic" on the floor, taking his imaginary gravy train to the land of the well-fed.
Mr Tang, 34, a freelance IT consultant, said he has seen his fair share of people flouting the "no eating or drinking" rule at MRT stations and on trains - even though there are signs and recorded audio reminders to alert commuters.
Mr Tang, 34, a freelance IT consultant, said he has seen his fair share of people flouting the "no eating or drinking" rule at MRT stations and on trains - even though there are signs and recorded audio reminders to alert commuters.
There is a fine of up to $500 if you are caught.
And SMRT reports an average of 41 commuters fined each month this year for flouting that rule.
A spokesman said staff members conduct random checks at stations and trains. Last year, 294 passengers were fined for consuming food or drink in the SMRT system.
From January to July this year, 288 people have been fined.
Still, what Mr Tang saw that night was unbeatable.
He was on a train heading towards Pasir Ris. At the Clementi station, a large man who appeared to be in his late 30s, ambled in. Dressed in a blue singlet and bermudas, he plopped himself down on the floor in the middle of the carriage when he found no available seats.
Then, crossing his legs, he took out a packet of roti prata, and started to chomp away.
By then, the standing crowd around him was staring in disbelief. "People's jaws were dropping," Mr Tang said.
"Many were staring at him, but the man didn't seem to bother.
"Maybe he wasn't aware of the stares or maybe he couldn't care less."
Still, Mr Tang said no one approached the man to tell him off.
"The guy is big-sized. Maybe nobody dared to," he added.
When a seat was freed about 15 minutes later, the man went for it. But the food fest didn't end there.
In a case of either compelling hunger or plain defiance, he proceeded to eat a second packet of roti prata.
And when he was done, he stunned onlookers a third time by casually placing the empty plastic packets on the floor between his legs and pushed them under the seat.
"Unbelievable," Mr Tang said, adding that he didn't know whether to laugh, sigh or get mad.
Yet, as shocking as the incident may have been to Mr Tang, it is not an isolated one.
Other reports of such commuters have hit the press recently.
On 9 August, a thread was started on The Straits Times' STOMP forum about a boy who got away scot-free despite blatantly eating on the MRT.
STOMPer Yoosuff, who contributed a photo of the incident to the website, claimed he saw a train officer a few seats away, but he did not stop the boy from eating.
On the same day, another thread was started about a man eating Hokkien mee on a train.
The thread has received more than 30,290 viewings, making it one of the most-viewed threads on the forum.
Many forum users aired their views on such behaviour.
Some, like netballxw, felt it was okay for commuters to eat small snacks, such as bread or curry puffs, as long as they didn't litter.
Others, like taurius58, wanted SMRT to clamp down harder on offenders, suggesting that they be issued Corrective Work Orders.
The curious thing is why some Singaporeans seem to feel it is okay to ignore the no-eating-and-drinking rule.
There are signs in every MRT carriage stating that those who eat or drink may be fined.
The sign is placed beside two others which indicate higher fines for smoking and taking flammable liquids or gases on board trains.
Most commuters take these two rules seriously. Yet, many seem to ignore the first.
One reason, perhaps, is the perception that the fine is "just for show".
Wrote STOMP forum user strugglist: "The question is whether the $500 fine is for real."
In another posting, MRT commuter Clement, 60, related an incident where he told off a woman for eating a bun on the train.
TROUBLING
He said he was troubled that other commuters saw her eating but did nothing.
He said he was troubled that other commuters saw her eating but did nothing.
"What if they spot a bag and it could be a security threat? We have to be civic-minded enough to do something instead of thinking someone else will do that," he said.
To this, another forum user responded that the security issue was "a total different thing compared to eating on the train".
The perception: Eating is a small matter.
But trivial or not, it is something that SMRT looks upon seriously.
A spokesman said: "Eating or drinking on board trains and at stations is both an ungracious act and rule-breaking behaviour.
"We take a serious view of passengers who eat or drink in our system."
The spokesman added that commuters can help to remind fellow passengers not to eat or drink in the trains and stations.
Rule-breakers may also be reported to staff members, who will locate the culprits if they are still within the station premises.
THINK WE HAVE IT BAD?
Besides littering, New York subway commuters may also be fined for wearing inline skates, putting their feet on seats and throwing stones, among many other things.
Besides littering, New York subway commuters may also be fined for wearing inline skates, putting their feet on seats and throwing stones, among many other things.
Last month, a Taiwanese man was fined NT10,000 ($460) for stepping over the yellow line at an MRT station platform, reported China Post.
In March, the London Tube introduced new rules making evading fares a crime. Offenders face arrest and a fine of up to £1,000 ($3,000).
