By Sharon Magdalene
Have you ever been accused of ‘stealing their seat’ or disgusted by some habits of MRT commuters? Here is a list of common, but annoying personalities you’ll find on your everyday MRT ride.
The “Gold” Digger
There’s a multitude of “gold” to be found in various “mines” in the human body. Watch how he/she carefully transits finger(s) into areas such as their nose, ear, mouth and sometimes even their toes! If you spot a “gold” digger, be sure to stay out of flicking range, or else bathing twice wouldn’t be enough.
Boulder Blocker
While we’re all trying to board the train, there are some who are more eager than the rest of us. They tend to stand right in front of the door, instead of by the side of it. Why? Perhaps it’s ‘kiasu-ism’ kicking in… or perhaps they’re trying to make sure no one ever leaves the train.
The Pole Huggers
You’re caught standing without any hand holds, and you find yourself walking to the nearest pole, where a fellow commuter’s thoughtfully leaning their entire back or side against it, either oblivious to other commuters or just not concerned with sharing “their” pole. If you have a vivid imagination, do not picture them doing some sexy pole dance (unless you find them hot), especially since if they’re not (hot), that image may well be burned into your mind, forever!
Playing dead
This is one of the most common sights on the train. On every journey, there’s bound to be someone who knows how to play dead, or as we see it, pretending to be asleep. What’s more is that they conveniently fall into deep sleep when a pregnant woman or someone needy steps into the train or are standing in front of them. Miraculously, the moment the train announces their stop, whatever sleeping spell they have on wears off, and they’re out in a flash.
The “You-owe-me-seat” Starer
Just when you think you’ve seen it all, we have the “you-owe-me-seat” starer. They’re your typical middle aged auntie or uncle. What happens is that they will stand right up close to you and start giving that kind of soul piercing look, expecting you to give up your seat, as if you owe him/her one. If sheer awkwardness alone doesn’t make you vacate the seat, the most dedicated Starer would go to the extreme lengths of taking a photo of you to attempt to shame you (via social media), into giving up your seat. And ironically, they are usually pretty able-bodied themselves.
