As culturally diverse as Singapore is, there are still people who hold on to their prejudices against foreign nationals living in the same city as them.
And while it’s a sad reality to see even on a normal day at any regular public location, the best thing we can all do is to not pass judgment and to deepen our understanding in such situations, so that we can act as appropriately and considerate as we can.
Foreign Worker Offers MRT Seat to Elderly Woman Reluctant to Sit Beside Him
A netizen has taken to Facebook what she witnessed as a disconcerting incident on her ride on the MRT recently.
The incident which involved a man, whom the netizen believed to be a foreign worker, was put to a difficult situation in public when he had to give up his seat to an elderly woman even though there was an empty seat next to him.
The elderly woman apparently appeared reluctant to take the seat beside the man, which left him in an awkward position.
Fortunately, the netizen who witnessed this episode intervened to make the situation less humiliating for the foreign man than it already is.
The picture posted by the netizen showed her sitting beside the female elderly commuter who had initially refused to sit down, and the foreign worker directly opposite her.
Instead of letting the man who gave up his seat for the elderly passenger stand alone, the netizen offered her own seat to him and sat down beside the elderly woman.
Sharing her thoughts online, the netizen wrote: “Seeing that, I immediately stood up and offered to change my seat with him. Because come on, why doesn’t he deserve a seat? We are all paying transport fare, isn’t it?”
To end her post, the netizen urged people to abide by the golden rule: “Treat others as how you wish to be treated.”
While it’s unfortunate to see people treating others with less regard than they treat themselves, this incident also serves as an eye-opener for us to stand up for what is right and to do good whenever we can, as best as we can.
Where there is misunderstanding and indifference, we can become an agent of change by showing others the right way, and not by simply calling them out for their poor actions or decisions.
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