Tips For Train Rides During Peak Hours.

Do Pardon Me For This Ugly Drawing And My Limited Vocabulary And Poor Usage Of English. These Are Based On My First-Hand Experiences.

I've Been Taking The Train To Work For The Past 3 Weeks. It May Be A Short Period Of Time And Yet, I've Seen So Much Happening In And Outside The Train. During The Rush Hour, The Trains Get Really Packed And I Often Encounter People Raising Their Voices Just Because They Got Pushed And Shoved. I Know It's Uncomfortable, But Do Note That Everyone Is Feeling The Same. The Fact That Some People Have Lower Tolerance Level Can Lead To Staring Incidents Or Even Conflicts.

The Trains Here May Be Really Crowded During Peak Hours, But It's Really Nothing Compared To How It's Like In Japan. I've Been To Japan And I've Experienced The Train Rides There Before The Morning Rush Hour (Around 6.30 Am). They Are Already As Packed. Couldn't Even Imagine How It Would Be Like When It's 7 And Even Later. Taking The Trains In Singapore May Seem Really Horrible, But Sure Enough, You Haven't Seen The Worst. (But You Could Well Argue That Trains in Japan Don't Breakdown As Often)

Now, Here Are Just Some Of My Opinions On How Train Rides Can Be Less Uncomfortable/More Tolerable (Enjoyable..? Not Really).

1) Queuing Up Before The Arrival Of The Train

I Do See People Doing So Most Of The Time But When The Train Arrives, The Queue Immediately Vanishes And It Feels As If Everyone Is Competing To Get On The Train. These People Should At Least Respect That Since They Are Already In The Queue, Then STAY IN IT. Not Like It's The LAST DAMN TRAIN That Is Coming. 赶着去投胎 (Rushing To Be Reborn)? Translations Taken From Google.

2) Allowing People To Alight First

This Is Where Shit Happens. There Will Always Be People At The Train Exit Blocking The Way Out Of The Train And Hence, Some People Will Take A Longer Time To Get Out. Before Entering The Train, Do Make Sure That These People Have Alighted Before Boarding. You Don't Want Them To Be Shoving You On Their Way Out.

3) Try Not To Listen To Music And If Possible, Don't Watch Dramas/Movies Etc. And Read Newspapers At All

It Is Generally Alright To Listen To Music So Long As You Are Aware Of When The Train Is Stopping At Each Station. This Will Allow You To Make Way For Those Who Are Getting Out Especially If You Are Standing Near The Exit. You Don't Want People To Be Screaming At Your Ears. If The Train Is Too Packed, Kindly Step Out Of The Train To Allow Others To Alight First.

If You Are Watching Drama/Movies, Chances Are You Aren't Even Aware. Hope You Get Shoved Out Of The Train Without Even Realising. Muhahaha!

Reading Newspapers Is One Of The Really Selfish Things To Do On A Train. When Everyone Has Already So Little Space To Themselves, Suddenly There's This VIP Who Whips Out A Newspaper And Takes Up The Space In Front Of Him Instead Of Moving In For More People To Board.

4) Spraying Some Perfume/Deodorant/Taking A Bath

I'm Not Too Affected By This Personally But I Believe Many People Are. Everyone Is So Close To Each Other That You Can Literally Smell Someone Else's Body Odor And Trust Me, It Can Be Really Disgusting. But Then Again, Spraying Too Much Perfume Can Have A Reverse Effect Too. Taking A Bath Would Be Just Right To Keep You Smelling Fresh.

5) Saying Sorry/Excuse Me/Thank You When Making Way/Giving Way

Basic Courtesy. Words Like This Are Really Pleasing To The Ears. I'm Sure If You Are Polite, People Would Give Way To You Willingly.

5b) While Exiting, If The People Standing Near Is Unaware (Watching A Movie Etc.), Kindly Tap On Their Shoulders To Alert Them

At Least Warn Others Before You Are Going To Push And Shove Right? Don't Give Others A Heart Attack. Who Knows, They Might Be Watching A Horror Movie. But If They Really Are, Tapping On Their Shoulders Could Be Even More Creepier.

6) During Train Emergency Brakes, Grab Hold Of Someone Who Has Loss Their Balance If You Are Holding On To A Handle.

This Happens Quite Often, Especially If There Is A Train Ahead. I Got Caught Off Guard Once When The Train Brakes Were Jammed But Thankfully, This Kind Lady Actually Grabbed Hold Of My Hands. Don't Just Look Out For Yourself. Be Nice And Lookout For Others Too! (: Of Course, Do Notice Where You're Grabbing Too, You Don't Want People To Misinterpret Your Kind Intentions And Accuse You For Molesting.

Here Are Also Some Problems Which I Have Noticed But Have No Ideal Solutions To:

There Is Uncomfortable, And Then There Is TEN TIMES More Uncomfortable Just Because Someone's Hair Or Face Is 1 Inch Nearer To Yours. Imagine A Lady/Gentlemen Stand Facing You And Her/His Lips Are Just Centimeters Away From Yours. When This Happens To Me, I Just Look Down Or Look Away. Looking At Someone In The Face Can Get Really Awkward And When The Train Brakes, The Unexpected Could Happen.

As For Farting On The Train, Holding Your Breath Would Be Ideal. Allow Others To Breathe In The Air First. When You Start Seeing That The People Around You Has Fainted, That's When You Know It's Safe To Continue Breathing.

Jokes Aside. I'm Sure If Everyone Puts In Even A Little Effort, Train Rides Will Be Much More Tolerable. We Will Be Able To Start Our Day Well Rather Than Being All Grumpy.