‘Are you pregnant or what’: Mother carrying child says man refused to give up MRT priority seat
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SINGAPORE: A mother took to social media to share that a man occupying an MRT priority seat mocked her when she asked for a seat while carrying her child.
Sharing her experience in the Complaint Singapore Facebook group on Tuesday (Sep 23), she explained that she had “politely requested” if she could have the seat as she was struggling to balance with her child in her arms.
“It was so tough for me,” she recalled. “[But] the guy just gave me a weird look and replied, ‘Are you pregnant or what? What do you need?’ He and his girlfriend continued sitting there, enjoying themselves.”
Confused by his reaction, she asked fellow netizens: “I just want to check—aren’t the ‘Priority / Show You Care’ seats in MRT meant for the elderly, pregnant women, persons with disabilities, and also for those carrying young children?”
She added that this was not the first time she had been ignored while carrying her child on the train. “There have been many times when I was carrying my little one and struggling to balance, but the person sitting in the priority seat simply ignored me,” she wrote.
Still, she acknowledged that not every commuter behaves this way, recalling how a college student once immediately stood up to offer her his seat. “I felt so grateful. It really makes a huge difference when people show a little kindness,” she said.
“What has Singapore become?”
In the comments, one netizen noted that although priority seats are meant for those who genuinely need them, there is no legal requirement for other commuters to give them up either.
“It’s only a recommendation not a necessary. It’s more of a campaign not mandatory. You see fines for eating drinking but you no see fines for not giving up seats …” they said.
Another argued that everyone pays the same fare and therefore has the same right. “We should not use the idea of ‘kindness’ to compel others to act according to our preferences. If you struggle to take public transport, there’s always alternative: take grab, but if someone really in need of the seat, of course anyone from the “normal” seat could get up too!”
Others, however, lamented how society has grown less compassionate, with more people turning a blind eye to those struggling on the MRT.
One commented, “Now, most of the people are only kind when they go to their temples or churches. Once they come out of it… They will tell you.”
Another wrote, “Nowadays not many people give up their seats to those who need….sad society.”
A third shared, “Those not giving up seats to needy, I guarantee you the majority are Singaporeans. I stay in the west and I have no problem getting a seat even on Saturdays and Sundays, why? Because foreign workers are more thoughtful. Even the lifts, most times the able-bodied are willing to wait rather than take the escalators. What has Singapore become??”
In other news, a foreigner who has been in Singapore for just over 10 days was puzzled by how often locals talk about wanting to leave the country. Curious, he took to social media to ask for their perspective.
In his post on Reddit’s r/Singapore forum, he wrote, “I keep reading posts and comments about people wanting to move out of Singapore. Not gonna lie, I’ve been here just 10+ days for my program, and I’m like… why though? Is it the cost of living? The work grind? Or just a grass-is-greener thing? Why do so many people here say they want to leave Singapore?”