MR LIN Weizhong's letter on Tuesday ("To promote graciousness, remove reserved seats"; Forum Online) piqued my interest because I had written about a similar topic on Oct 15, 2013 ("Real meaning of reserved seats"; Forum Online).
In it, I used a restaurant's reserved tables as an analogy. Basically, a reserved table is one that is specially kept aside for a patron, who expects it to be empty the moment he arrives.
To put it into context, a reserved seat should never be occupied unless you are pregnant, old, injured or with a young child.
Thus, whenever I see an able-bodied commuter on a reserved seat, my question will be, "Why is an able-bodied occupant sitting on a reserved seat in the first place?"
This is why, while Mr Lin has good intentions, doing away with reserved seats will not work.
On many occasions, I have seen an able-bodied commuter on a reserved seat, refusing to budge despite somebody else needing it more than him. By removing the reserved seats, the selfish attitude will be more prevalent than ever. It will become a case of "who blinks first".
For instance, who do you think will be willing to give up his seat when a pregnant woman boards the train? Is it the woman who has many shopping bags, the 60-year-old man who has just finished his night shift, or the 10-year-old pupil with a huge school bag? They are more likely to justify their own needs for the seat, than to give it up graciously.
At a time when we are still seeing people rushing into trains instead of giving way to alighting commuters, we are still not gracious enough to do away with reserved seats.
Donovan Chee
In it, I used a restaurant's reserved tables as an analogy. Basically, a reserved table is one that is specially kept aside for a patron, who expects it to be empty the moment he arrives.
To put it into context, a reserved seat should never be occupied unless you are pregnant, old, injured or with a young child.
Thus, whenever I see an able-bodied commuter on a reserved seat, my question will be, "Why is an able-bodied occupant sitting on a reserved seat in the first place?"
This is why, while Mr Lin has good intentions, doing away with reserved seats will not work.
On many occasions, I have seen an able-bodied commuter on a reserved seat, refusing to budge despite somebody else needing it more than him. By removing the reserved seats, the selfish attitude will be more prevalent than ever. It will become a case of "who blinks first".
For instance, who do you think will be willing to give up his seat when a pregnant woman boards the train? Is it the woman who has many shopping bags, the 60-year-old man who has just finished his night shift, or the 10-year-old pupil with a huge school bag? They are more likely to justify their own needs for the seat, than to give it up graciously.
At a time when we are still seeing people rushing into trains instead of giving way to alighting commuters, we are still not gracious enough to do away with reserved seats.
Donovan Chee
