Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
i love singapore. you can never be critized for giving your seat to old people in singapore. you might get looks if you jump up for a young pretty girl. its like you said-- its all relative to your age in comparison to theirs.
One thing that I noticed among some younger singaporean is that whenever there is an elderly in front of them they pretend to be asleep and magically awake when it's on their stop
That is what always happens in Japan as well!
When my son was a baby, 0-3 years old, I had to hold him as he slept, while standing on MANY buses and trains in Japan. Pretty much exactly, as you described, most people would feign to be asleep and just suddenly wake up at their stop.
Just like Singapore, Japan has all the same signs to give up your seat for elderly, handicapped, pregnant women, mothers with little babies, etc. Every country in the world DOES that politeness thing for others. Japan was the one country I lived where I saw it least adhered to however.
Here in Macau, if my wife comes on the bus holding our kid in her arms; people quickly almost fight to give them their seat.
I always tried to give my seat to anyone who seemed to have mobility issues - usually elderly but sometime shoppers. I found that lots of the elderly would not take my seat and some young jack rabbit would hop into the empty seat. I started asking the Pioneers if they wanted my seat - no one ever said yes but if they did not answer right away I just gave it up and asked them to please sit down.
It is not a Singapore specific question, not sure why it is made to be one.
I normally gladly give my seats to people with babies in their hands, or toddlers as they may injure themselves. I always give seats to obviously pregnant women immediately.
Seniors? depends. 40, 50 years old? out of the question. Older than that, it depends how healthy they look. If they appear wobbly (like my dad) and have trouble standing firm, then I would. If they seem perfectly steady and agile (many are, like my own mother), I probably won't.
I'm 70 and often visit with my wife who is Singaporean. I'm almost always offered a seat by a local whenever there is a standing room only situation. Singaporeans are courteous to seniors.
When my son was a baby, 0-3 years old, I had to hold him as he slept, while standing on MANY buses and trains in Japan. Pretty much exactly, as you described, most people would feign to be asleep and just suddenly wake up at their stop.
Just like Singapore, Japan has all the same signs to give up your seat for elderly, handicapped, pregnant women, mothers with little babies, etc. Every country in the world DOES that politeness thing for others. Japan was the one country I lived where I saw it least adhered to however.
Here in Macau, if my wife comes on the bus holding our kid in her arms; people quickly almost fight to give them their seat.
Yep. I mean if you have the guts to seat at priority seat then why would you pretend to be asleep ? lol.
I heard that in Korea they take the priority seat seriously. I didn't have the opportunity to use subway during my stay in Seoul but I heard that no one especially younger people dare to seat at priority seats, because if you do, you will get stared a lot and at least a random elderly will scold and scream at you. I guess it has something to do with the strong influence of Confucianism in Korea ?
How about at Taiwan, Mainland China, and Japan ? any posters ?
I have always given my seat up to the elderly, the injured, children with toddlers etc.
I don't know about Singapore specifically but in general if the other person seems old enough to have adult grandchildren and are in forced retirement where that is enforced
When my son was a baby, 0-3 years old, I had to hold him as he slept, while standing on MANY buses and trains in Japan. Pretty much exactly, as you described, most people would feign to be asleep and just suddenly wake up at their stop.
I had refrained from commenting in this thread until I saw what you wrote. It had to happen. I knew it.
Have you ever thought of opening that precious gold-laced mouth of yours to ask for a seat? Why do you see the need to play the victim's card when those people could genuinely be asleep? Heck, I could be one of those people who has had a rough day and just needed a quick shuteye on the train, and not knowing there is another passenger in front of me feigning muteness.
I have seen this far too often in the metro in Singapore, but it's usually the pregnant who would rather save that 5 or 6 muscles of the mouth from moving than to ask for a seat. And guess what they prefer to do on social media when they get home?
Geez, that's the reason why I choose to stand 99% of the time. For that 1% when I'm truly bushed and just had to sit down, I worry about being criticized by people like you, or by overzealous vigilantes who think that the needy who take trains are born mute.
Last edited by Oldhag1; 06-11-2015 at 02:54 PM..
Reason: Removed red font
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
