Applying make-up on the MRT? Poster sparks debate on personal grooming on public transport

But she, and the other respondents, drew the line at nail clipping while commuting. “It’s disgusting, especially when they leave the nail clippings or flick their dead skin everywhere,” she said.

Human resources manager Jo Koh, who applies light make-up on the train when she is pressed for time, said the actions must be safe. “No sharp objects like tweezers or shavers should be used,” the 29-year-old said.

Driver Patrick Chung, 62, has occasionally seen women applying make-up on the train, but not frequently enough to warrant a reminder. He added that he is not bothered by it as much as he is by “rude behaviour like talking on the phone loudly”.

But others disagreed, with some saying all personal grooming should be done at home.

One Reddit user commented: “Their attempt to remedy their failure to set aside personal time to conduct personal grooming should not be at the expense of the hygiene and health of others.”

Technical officer Hari Krishnan, 36, said: “People putting on make-up in the train causes inconvenience. Their powder might get on others and stain their clothes.”

Ms Teo Ser Lee, founder and director of Protocol Academy – a company that provides etiquette and protocol training, said it is not ideal to apply make-up anywhere in public, let alone on public transport.

“It is akin to dressing up, which you do only behind closed doors,” the 60-year-old said.

“Applying make-up in public places is not acceptable, not while seated at a dinner table, and definitely not while on public transport or in taxis,” she added.

“If you urgently need to reapply your make-up, pop into the nearest public washroom and do it there.”

Chemist Anna Chan, 29, understands the safety concerns of applying make-up on public transport, especially when the train is crowded.

“I’ve seen a friend try to put her make-up on while standing because there were no seats available. I was worried that she would fall because she was also carrying a lot of things,” she said.

Public relations specialist Rina Soo, 29, appreciated the message behind the poster but thought better examples could have been used.

“The clipping of nails is a good example, but for the other graphic, they could have shown someone brushing their hair with a comb instead,” she said.

A reminder not to engage in personal grooming on board public buses that may soil the buses or other passengers is also included in the Land Transport Authority’s guidelines on conditions of carriage for public buses in Singapore.

The campaign driven by SMRT is “very helpful”, Ms Teo said, adding that the graphics can also help remind children how to behave while travelling.

“Everybody should try to be more gracious on our public transport lines,” she said.

ST has contacted SMRT for more information.