Can you imagine traveling in a MRT compartment with someone who talks over his mobile at the top of his voice in a "foreign" dialect as though the other person on the other side of his conversation has hearing deficiency? How about having another accompaniment going along in Singlish? All these for at least half of my journey from Yishun to Jurong East, how irritable! I couldn't even concentrate and enjoy reading my favourite mr brown's column.
Oh gosh, I can tell how irritated everyone in my compartment is. I was so tempted to make the "sssshhhhh" sound coupled with the index finger on the mouth action that I was taught when I was in Kindergarten and in lower Primary, but hesitated because I was also taught not to be rude and to mind my own business. I guess everyone who is seated near me is taught the same old thing (perhaps because the "syllabus" didn't really change that much during our times when we were "educated").
Since I couldn't read my TODAY in peace, I begin observing what my fellow passengers did to combat such acts - perhaps trying to learn something from them? The only closest thing they did was to throw their disapproval glares occasionally at the two inconsiderate ones to indicate their irritation in the hope that they would both stop. However, it seems like such glares are useless to the thick-skinned and inconsiderate ones. Some others with mp3 players reach for their volume control to do you know what. Another kept his Straits Times into his leather business bag. Surprisingly nobody asks them to stop and nobody moves to another compartment (so having a seat and bearing with the noise pollution is still better than standing).
That leaves me to think: Why didn't we act - is it because of some unwritten standards/rules we adhere to avoid getting into trouble? Are we too intolerant? Maybe it is time to perhaps include some reminders for the considerate use of mobile in our next courtesy campaign...