Bus and Design, or lack of it

Frankly, I think the people who design product never use the product before!

Okay, probably some do, and maybe majority don't. I am sure you can think of many, but I will stick to only bus for this posting. Basically, the design of the bus stop and the bus. Look at the way the bus stop is layout. When one is seating down in at a bus stop, should someone comes over and stand in front of you, you can't see any bus coming. And the tendency is for people to be crowding in front of the people who are seating. Such is the design of the bus stop. One can only see the bus if one stands up, or the bus is right in front of you. And the route guide, it is always at the back of a seat, such that if someone is seating, you will be like trying to see through that person in order to read the guide. One surely will get dirty look by others if that person seating is a pretty lady in low cut blouse. Whether one intention is the lady or the guide behind her!

And as for the bus, especially the new bus, why have a more spacious standing room in the front portion of the bus, when it is required for passengers to move to the rear in order to make room for incoming passengers? Logically, people will crowded round a place where the room is more spacious. Look at the old bus design, you often find people standing near the exit as it is more roomy. The designer should have the standing room portion at the back, then you have an excuse for telling them to move to the rear. And for that matter, have the exit door closer to the rear. You will find people more willing to move back. Haven't anyone learn that by now?

Another thing is the ezlink contact point. The one at the front is allowing entrance and exit. It is fine if the bus is crowded, making it hard to sqeeze to the exit behind, but if it is not crowded, it should be switch to entry only. Then it will not slow down those who are boarding the bus. It is silly when the people is coming down the bus at the front, preventing people from boarding, while the exit door has nobody going down. Sheesh! This is stupid! If I am not mistaken, when the bus company first introduce ezlink, there wasn't a dual entry/exit at the front, so people can board and deboard the bus faster. Only when they realised that people took too long to move to the exit at the rear that they started the dual mode at the front. In the first place, if the bus was designed better, there was no need to introduce dual mode tap point.

I have always felt that one should be able to get a seat when one board a bus. It isn't fair that a standing passenger has to pay the same fare as a person sitting. When one goes for a event performance, one pays differently for seating, or standing when there is one. It is no wonder that people don't want to stand when seeing older folk, children or pregnant ladies. Their mindset probably says why should they stand when they pay for their seats. This and probably other reasons add up to their unwillingness to give up their seats.

I don't want to mention the MRT, I don't like MRT and will avoid them if possible even if it is a faster mode to travel. Why? Because the chances of not getting a seat is very very high. Now there is an annoucement to reduce seats further for the less able-bodied. Will it work? I don't know. I hope it will, though I fear that people will now hold on to their seats more. Even rushing for the few seats available.

I don't mind giving up my seat if those in need of it approaches, but it is unlikely they will as I am usually at the back of the bus on the crowded bus. I will make an effort to move behind. It irks me seeing so much space behind while the front is so jam-packed. But all these will be unnecessary if people thinks of others, that what if they were in that position?

And all these will not be necessary, if the people designing the bus has thoroughly thought of it in the first place!

Living with others

I don't believe that when one is with someone, whether boyfriend, fiance or husband, one is not allow to make friends with the opposite sex. A friend is not defined by his or her sex, but how comfortable one is with the person.

A person should be allow to make friends with whoever he chooses. Of course as long as he doesn't go beyond the borders of friendship if he is already attached. Then, it is not right!

It is natural to look at someone else, and fantasies. One cannot control how one feels, but one can still control how one behaves. If your partner get overjealous over another when there is no need to be, then your partner is not being fair to you. Do you wish that your partner can let you mix around with whoever you choose as well?

Life is about living with other people. It is not about two people. Yet it can be bonding for the two if they know how to be tolerance and selfless. Trying to control your partner life will only lead to unhappiness. Even separation. All because of something that is harmless.

But that being said, I can understand the need for some who want their partners to be faithful, even though the relationship with others may be harmless. I know it is also natural for a person to be jealous, just as it is natural for a person to want somebody who can understand him/her. It is not easy to know trust, for often we have found that being broken. And once broken, it is hard to mend.

Trust. It is so important in any relationship. Yet, so hard to find.

This is a hard topic with so many issues that need to be tackled to fully understand, so I am only touching lightly here. It always hurts when one find your partner being unfaithful and broke your trust, even more when oneself has been faithful all along. I know it doesn't feel fair when it happens to you. Here, I am only touching on relationship, not event.

When things happens, let it pass, your life doesn't stop there. And the journey is full of obstacles before you find happiness. Yet it doesn't stop there, as happiness and sadness always tend to alternate. Fair .... it is hard to find fairness, even more so with everlasting happiness.

Living with other people is not as easy as living with oneself.

Be happy, even if it is momentary, let it fill your heart ... and it will stay there.

Public transport

Again, we are seeing an increase in the prices of things we use. If we are lucky, our salary will increase as well, but unfortunately that don't happen as fast and as often as the price increase in commodities.

Fuel tax on taxi? Yes, you may say it is a small amount. If the taxi company think it is small, then why do you want to introduce it? When you add up the amount with all the passengers, it is alot, just as when we add up the amount on the things we are spending, it will be alot. So don't say it is a small amount.

Everyone is encourage to take public transport. Yes, sure! Currently, I feel it is already overloaded. If people who are driving cars switch over to public transport, then it will be over-overloaded. The transport authorities should increase their bus and train load capacities first before wanting people to give up their cars. I have been using the public transports for years since I don't drive. If I can afford and a licence to drive, I will be switching to car.

Sure, the transport company will show you statistics that it is not filling up, that compare with other countries, we are better off. Why do you want to compare with other countries? Does Changi Airport feel contented being comparable to other countries? I don't think so, as it is always trying to be better, increasing its capacity, providing better services, and always aiming to be number one.

Just because other countries still squeeze their passengers in overloaded trains or buses doesn't mean we can be satisfied that we "don't" squeeze as much people as them. Just because our public buses is new or has special extras like mobileTV or you can watch the electronic GPS-enabled board to see what time the next bus is coming (which I found very inaccurate in the 25 minutes I waited, which also doesn't say much of the service which promised 12mins interval), we are luckier than other countries. After so many years of promising better services, the bus company gave us extras yes, but the basic needs of going from point A to point B without waiting too long or getting a seat is still not met most of the time. An aircon bus ride without feeling the aircon is also what we have to tolerate. And we are supposedly paying for an aircon bus ride?

Hopefully, the new restructured system will see an improved situation for most of us. Granted I know not everyone can be pleased. We can only resign to whatever they are willing to give. I can only hope to get to my destination without being late.

To me, I want to see every person getting a seat when we take a public transport, be it a bus or train. Maybe then pregnant ladies or children will get their seats. Tired workers will get their seats. Old people will get their seats. That to me is an ideal public transport. We don't pay to stand, otherwise shouldn't we be paying less for that? Yes, I know we have premium bus services, which I feel is only an excuse for the bus company to introduce a service which they can collect more money. If the public transport system is good and think of the people first, it will not have been necessary to have such services in the first place. A public bus is for the public, where everyone is entitled to have a seat. If Singapore can do that, we can say that we have a public transport system that other countries will only dream about.

We can proudly say we are the NUMBER ONE!