Welcome to\u00a0Stomping Ground<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 a space where Stompers share reflections, personal essays and social commentaries that spark conversation and insight.<\/strong><\/p>\n Singapore is a first-world “urban marvel\u201d, but our behaviour on public transport leaves much to be desired, said one Stomper.<\/p>\n Stomper David Pang<\/strong> said that despite boasting a world-class Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) network, our peak-hour commutes \u201croutinely expose a distinct breakdown in civic courtesy\u201d.<\/p>\n He shared: \u201cDespite decades of government-led campaigns featuring characters like \u2018Stand-Up Stacey\u2019 and \u2018Move-In Martin\u2019<\/a>, public transport etiquette remains a battleground of passive-aggressive friction, spatial ignorance, and a hyper-competitive sprint for individual comfort.\u201d<\/p>\n A common gripe, according to him, is the \u201cspatial obliviousness\u201d of commuters<\/a>.<\/p>\n David said: \u201cA foundational law of global transit,\u00a0letting people exit before boarding,\u00a0frequently fails at major interchanges like Jurong East and Serangoon, prompting frustrated commuters to drop standard pleasantries and physically barge through oncoming crowds.<\/p>\n \u201cOnce inside, \u2018door guardians’<\/a> anchor themselves at the exits for entire journeys, freezing the empty centre of the carriage and forcing everyone else to squeeze past.\u201d<\/p>\n This \u201centitlement\u201d begins long before boarding, noted David.<\/p>\n \u201cAt bus shelters, lines of standing commuters routinely form a human wall directly in front of the benches, blocking the view of seated passengers as if they were made of see-through glass,\u201d said the Stomper, adding that elderly and less mobile commuters are left constantly craning their necks just to spot their bus.<\/p>\n Calling public transport etiquette a \u201cfailed discipline\u201d in Singapore, David also described inconsiderate behaviours that he often observes on buses and trains.<\/p>\n \u201cInside the vehicles, digital noise pollution thrives<\/a>, with passengers blasting short-form videos on full volume<\/a> without headphones, while others operate high-pitched portable turbo fans that add a persistent background drone to the cabin,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cMeanwhile, manspreaders<\/a> take over adjacent seating, commuters leave bags on empty chairs, and unremoved large backpacks strike unsuspecting passengers with every turn.\u201d<\/p>\n The Stomper feels that the phenomenon stems from \u201ca transactional survivalist mindset born out of daily urban exhaustion, where hesitation means losing personal comfort\u201d. It is a stark shift from what things were like in the 1970s through to the 1990s, he added.<\/p>\n David explained: \u201cDecades ago, bus drivers acted as vocal enforcers, unhesitatingly shouting at crowds to move to the back (\u2018Gerak belakang!\u2019<\/em>)\u201d. Commuters complied immediately, maximising the space.<\/p>\n \u201cToday, a hyper-sensitive feedback culture has left public transport operators terrified of corporate complaints, forcing drivers to remain silent<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cDeprived of authority, passengers ignore empty rear spaces and upper decks, leaving bus captains to rely on automated announcements that are easily ignored, causing buses to bypass waiting passengers at subsequent stops.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause open confrontation is culturally avoided, Singaporeans rely heavily on a passive-aggressive \u2018tsk’ culture of glares and heavy sighs<\/a>, allowing poor behaviour to continue unchecked.\u201d<\/p>\n A man was seen lying on a train floor and blocking the door in June.<\/p>\n PHOTO: STOMP<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n To counter this, Singapore has shifted from soft persuasion to legislative enforcement, said David.<\/p>\n Under Rapid Transit Systems regulations<\/a>, persistent nuisance behaviour \u2014 such as sitting on the floor, seat hogging, or blasting loud music \u2014\u00a0carries a fine of up to $500.<\/p>\n More serious offences, such as soiling any part of the railway premises, carry a maximum penalty of $5,000.<\/p>\n \u201cPublic transport operators\u00a0may also remove commuters who cause nuisance or activate the police for more egregious cases,\u201d said the Land Transport Authority<\/a>.<\/p>\n Similarly, bus captains can evict or call the police on disruptive passengers.<\/p>\n Those convicted of a public nuisance offence under the Penal Code may be fined up to $2,000 and\/or jailed up to three months.<\/p>\n However, the Stomper pointed out that good behaviour on public transport is a shared responsibility that cannot be fixed just by imposing penalties.<\/p>\n \u201cUltimately, altering infrastructure by removing centre poles or painting platform arrows cannot fix a deeper cultural deficit,\u201d said David, adding that relying on fines only reinforces the idea that bad behaviour is acceptable as long as enforcement officers are absent.<\/p>\n \u201cUntil the daily commute shifts from an individualistic survival race to a shared, conscious responsibility, Singapore\u2019s transit will remain physically advanced but socially frustrating.\u201d<\/p>\n David also feels that things have \u201cundeniably gotten worse\u201d in recent years.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have engineered a flawless, driverless transit system, yet we still haven\u2019t figured out how to get human beings to step away from a doorway or look past their own screens,\u201d he told Stomp on July 15.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a fascinating psychological gridlock where first-world architecture meets a bizarre, zero-sum survival instinct.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve traded basic neighbourly empathy for an every-man-for-himself scramble, resulting in a daily commute that feels less like a civilized journey and more like a passive-aggressive battle royale for personal space.\u201d<\/p>\n Have your say on Stomping Ground! Write to us at stomp@sph.com.sg or WhatsApp 9384 3761.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n Have something to say? Join in!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Explore more on these topics<\/p>\n<\/div>\n See something interesting? Contribute<\/a> your story to us.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\nCommuters who block doors, occupy more seats than they need and blast music<\/h2>\n
Singaporean culture is part of the problem: Stomper<\/h2>\n
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Is enforcement enough to discourage bad behaviour?<\/h2>\n
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