Every morning, I take the MRT to work. But today was different. There was actually an empty seat in the cabin! An opportunity for me to rest my still sleepy and very weary body. However, it was the dreaded Reserved Seat.

After scanning the area for the elderly, pregnant women, children and all other possible candidates for the Reserved Seat and making sure that there are none in the cabin, I proceeded to sit.  How I wish I hadn’t. It was stressful. I felt like I was playing Russian Roulette. At every station, as people boarded the train, I found myself looking out for people who might need the Reserved Seat more than I do. Every station I got to sit could be my last.

I was also trying very hard to stay awake. It took more effort to stay awake when sitting down rather than standing up and I had to stay awake because falling asleep could result in people labeling me an Ugly Singaporean because I allegedly fake my sleep while sitting on the Reserved Seat. What if a pregnant lady walks in while I was asleep? Disastrous.

Also, I’m not going to lie. I was hoping and praying that I didn’t have to give up my seat. I was tired. Really. I was playing football the night before and my whole body was aching. Still, I’m not saying that if I don’t sit I’ll die of cramps. I’m just saying that if I got a seat, it would be better for me.

Then, three stations before mine, an old man boarded the train. It just had to happen. But there was something different about this old man that made me unsure if he was really that old. (What is the cut-off age for the Reserved Seats anyway?) His hair was white, but that was about the only thing that made him look old. He wasn’t frail at all and he looked more than capable of standing. Maybe even more capable than me on that day.

WILL YOU GIVE HIM YOUR SEAT? [PHOTO: ALTERNATIVEHEALTHWELLNESS.COM]

This had me in a dilemma. Should I give up this Reserved Seat? What will people think of me if I don’t? If I offer him my seat, would he be grateful or would I hurt his ego because I didn’t think he was capable of standing up? Something of that nature happened once to my friend. She gave up her Reserved Seat to a lady who she thought was pregnant. Embarrassing for all parties involved.

Luckily, I was saved from further mental torture by someone who was getting off. The not-so-old man got the seat and I still had mine. By then, I couldn’t take it anymore. I gave up. I only had one more stop to go, so I stood up and freed myself from the psychological trauma and unnecessary stresses of the Reserved Seat.

Standing on the MRT in the rush hour crowd never felt so good.

PHOTO: ALTERNATIVEHEALTHWELLNESS.COM

Technorati Tags: MRT etiquette, Dilemma, Reserved Seat, Ugly Singaporean

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