JAPAN A 66-year old Japanese elderly woman, Tamiko Masuta, manager of an apartment complex in Nagasaki, was arrested for assaulting a teenage student, kicking him and using her umbrella to hit him again and again, who did not give up his seat to her on the bus, even though he was sitting in the seats designated for senior citizens. She even broke his nose during the assault.
Japan is well known for their courteous and respectful people. If these incidents could happen in Japan, they may very well happen in Singapore too, considering that there are so many cases of inconsiderate commuters not giving up their seats to the needy.
One factor to consider is that the majority of the Japanese are considerate people, and thus it angered the elderly when she wasn't offered a seat, which has been the case all the while. Does this mean that this would never happen in Singapore,for it has become to norm in our island?
There have been so many cases where our Singaporean youth, like this Japanese student, openly disregard old people and sit in the Reserved Seats. For I am sure most of us are guilty of doing so, maybe with no ill intentions. We all have this "really Singaporean attitude". We are afraid of feeling embarrassed and hence have the mindset that someone else would give up their seat for the needy. See what happens if everyone thinks like that.
I am sure we all can understand. Adults are tired after a long day at work; Students are tired after a long day at school. However, I hope that we can put this tiredness aside and do a good deed. Kindness pays.
(Special thanks to STOMP for the story.)
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