MRT Station Antics by venitha

Popular ways to pass the time while waiting for the MRT, all witnessed by me this morning at Dhoby Ghaut:

• Primp in the reflective doors and walls. I admit that this is what I usually do, but I am not alone.
  
• Battle being driven into a homicidal rage by that freakin' annoying National Day song video blaring incessantly from the monitors.
  
• Disparage the video, the song, its singers, and its dancers with your friends.
  
• Enthusiastically pick your nose and ears. The brazen zeal with which many Singaporeans embrace this sort of grooming in public always makes me shake my head and laugh.
  
• Spit. Obviously, Singaporean bathroom facilities leave something to be desired.
  
• Share tunes. I never noticed this in the US, but then I wasn't hanging out at the teen hot-spots either. It's fairly common for two people to listen to a single ipod, each using just one of the earbuds.
  
• SMS, especially to your friend who is sitting right next to you. Then laugh uproariously.
  
• Cuddle with your boyfriend/girlfriend. Where oh where is the young Singaporean couple to go?
  
• Stop immediately at the bottom of the lift and gaze with indecision back and forth across the platform. Hmmm...Jurong East? or Marina Bay? Decisions decisions. Pay no attention whatsoever to the poor lift passengers struggling to get around you.
  
• Elbow your way through the other waiting passengers so you can stand immediately in front of the train door and be directly in the path of anyone who might want to get off the train. Stand impatiently with your arms folded and stare intently at the crack in the door, telepathically willing it to open in spite of the fact that the train is not yet there.
  
• Lean against the wall and ponder the meaning of life.
  
• Sleep.
  
• Patrol for abandoned packages. Okay, I've never actually seen this one, but it's what we all should be doing, isn't it?
  
• Read, especially that free newspaper that that guy is always handing out. I love that guy.
  
• Surreptitiously snitch bits of food from a plastic sack. No eating is allowed on the MRT, and given the usual Singaporean strict adherence to all rules, this always makes me want to gasp, point, and shout Desgraciado! I doubt many people here speak Spanish, but they'd get the idea. At any rate, the new anti-terrorism patrols of the MRT are bound to put a stop to this criminal behavior chop chop kali pok.
  
• Stare in boredom at the posted MRT maps and fare policies.
  
• Stare in fascination at ang moh as she takes a picture.
  

venitha