During a recent trip to the United States, I was struck by the stark contrast between its public transport systems and ours in Singapore.
On trains in Los Angeles and New York City, empty drink cans and soiled tissues were left on seats, while food remnants and litter were scattered across the carriage floors.
The station toilets were wet and grimy, with rubbish strewn about like fallen leaves after a storm. The neglect seemed so ingrained that untidiness had become a norm rather than an exception – a far cry from the well-maintained MRT system we often take for granted here.
