SINGAPORE: Over the years, various initiatives have been introduced to make train journeys more comfortable for everyone, from friendly reminders to stickers promoting good commuter etiquette.
Unfortunately, some commuters still refuse to abide by the rules, perhaps unknowingly at times, and end up making the ride uncomfortable for the people around them.
In a recent Reddit thread, Singaporeans shared some of the official and “unspoken” rules they wish more people would follow.
1. Don’t block the doors
The user who started the thread kicked things off by pointing out one of the most common offences: people who stand right in front of the doors without any intention of alighting at the next stop.
“If you’re standing near the door but not getting off soon, please move in,” he reminded others. “The number of people who block the entrance and act shocked when others squeeze past them… It’s wild.”
To add, he also urged others not to wear their backpacks inside the train. “You’re basically taking up two people’s worth of space,” he wrote. “I’ve had someone’s bag smack into me every time they turn or lean, and they don’t even realise it.”
2. No queue-cutting
Meanwhile, another commuter shared that nothing frustrates him more than people who blatantly cut the queue when boarding the MRT.
“All those people that cut in front of you when boarding ah, legit pisses me off,” he wrote. “One of these days Imma kick their ass. It’s always the elderly some more man. Like sure, there are people who ask that I’ll naturally give way to let them find a seat first and all that, but the other self-entitled ones ah…”
3. Share the pole
A third added that people should avoid turning the train pole into their personal leaning post, saying, “Don’t be a pole slug and drape your whole body over the middle pole so nobody else can hold onto it!”
4. Keep the volume down
This one is easily one of the most common complaints from regular MRT commuters. One user said it is baffling how many people still blast videos, music, or even voice messages out loud on the train without a second thought
“I was told before moving here that you need to be quiet on MRT, there are posters telling people to be quiet, but no, so many people are watching something with full volume,” she wrote.
“Use headphones! We don’t want to hear your phone, especially not at full blast,” she added.
5. Freshen up before boarding
This has been another hot topic in social media discussions. Earlier this year, TikTok user Steph Leong went viral after passionately urging people, especially “millennial men and Gen Z boys,” to freshen up before boarding the morning commute.
Her video quickly spread to other platforms, sparking plenty of debate and agreement from fellow commuters.
Unfortunately, judging by the comments in the recent thread, some people still haven’t gotten the memo. One user simply wrote, “Bath before commute,” while another added, “Shower in the morning.”
6. Look up from your phone
It is easy to get lost in your phone on the MRT, especially during a long ride, but when the train reaches a station, one user said that people should pay attention and “get their eyes off their phone.”
“It might not be your stop but its other people’s stop,” he continued. “You’re not helping when your eyes are glued to your phone and people have to squeeze through.”
7. Respect personal space
The MRT can get crowded, but there’s a difference between standing close and being uncomfortably close. One user asked fellow passengers, “Please move a bit away. If you stand so close I can smell your breath. And also don’t flip your hair here and there when it’s crowded, I don’t want to catch your dandruff. Thanks.”
8. Follow escalator etiquette
Last, but definitely not least, one user reminded everyone about basic escalator etiquette, writing, “If you’re not waiting in the slow-moving left queue, don’t cut in at the last minute and act blur.”
