Needed to get into office early on Tuesday to take an overseas conference call. Woke up earlier than usual to take public transport via SMRT ( Singapore Mass Rapid Transport, Singapore's subway/metro system). All was well till we reached the interchange station at Bishan. Sudden;y see the SMRT staff started putting up notices and announcements to say the Circle line had some problems; but part of the line is still serviceable.
My destination was 4 stations away (at Tai Seng), but the line only runs up till the 3rd station (Bartley). Since there wasn't much of a distance between the 3rd and the 4th stations. I figured i just ride till Bartley and then take alternative transport to office. Good plan, right?
But nooooo, the MRT Circle line was actually experiencing much more problems. We were forced to disembark at the 2nd station. Good thing SMRT decided to provide shuttle bus services to ferry people to their destinations along the train stations' route. In the end, i was only 5 minutes late (but the first one to reach the office ). My team mate came in about 5 minutes after; but she also experienced what I went through from the other end of the island. Our boss didn't make it till after 2 hours he got out of his house. Considering you only need slightly under 2 hours to drive around the island of Singapore, this gives you an idea of the seriousness of the break down in public transport.
Certain thoughts and observations arose out of the whole experience:
1) Small-mindedness of the average Singaporean
A lot of people were trying to squeeze onto the shuttle buses. You see people running ahead of people to try to squeeze onto the buses. Most of the young people sat down and did not give up their seats to the elderly. And generally there was a lot of complaining and discontent and ire, with some shouted comments of "Why you so stupid? You blocking the way and people cannot exit la".
Well, I'm not saying we try to turn this into a field day or picnic or something. But come on, everybody is being affected by the public transport outage. What makes you bad day any worse than the rest of ours? If you can't make the trip any faster with your frowns and rant, then at least keep your peace la.
I can think of worse things that could have happened:
a) a sewage pipe broke while on the SMRT commute, and you can't get out. (eeewwwwwww)
b) the electricity outage happened and electrocutes the whole train (think of those UV light electric fly traps... BBBZZZ!!!)^
c) sarin gas attack (though in Singapore it'll be more of flatulence attack)
2) Efficiency of the SMRT staff
The SMRT staff were pretty quick and efficient to provide help and assistance. Yes, no doubt it was SMRT who cocked-up.* Still, you must give credit to their staff for reacting promptly. Some of the staff were not even in their uniform yet (it as that early in the morning, and I guessed they haven't reached their duty stations). But they also participated in the ushering of crowds and giving help when needed.
3) The government response
Well, the government is stepping in to investigate on this outage of public service. I'm guessing it's going to follow the previous patterns ('cos not the first time) where the private company would be penalized by a hefty fine to the government coffers.
Honestly, I'm more inclined to have the government make the private company implement a WEEK of FREE public transport on the SMRT trains.(Not a day, cos that's only minuscule operations, and "peanuts"** to them; and not a month, cos we don't want to make SMRT bankrupt and fold).
If also possible, punish the owners of SMRT by making them squeeze onto a single carriage while forcing them to eat garlic and onions before boarding, and then trapped them underground for say an hour). Make them feel the pain of the public.
okay, i think i'm done with my "complaint-thinly-veiled-as-social-constructive-critique". Gotta go grab lunch.
^by the way, not from any of those Final Destination or Saw movies, purely original thought I had.
*Now I'm intrigued. Can any of my English users friends tell me, can I verb-ify "cock-up"? I always though it was more of a noun...
** Singaporeans always snigger when you mention "peanuts". Go ask them for the context.
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