7 things you could've done to make someone else's day in S'pore, but didn't

You could have turned things around. But you choose to be a selfish toad.

Belmont Lay| April 25, 03:32 AM

There aren't many times in our lives where we can be the textbook hero, roll up our sleeves or take off our clothes, put personal safety aside and dive right in to save the day.

But there are many, many instances where we all could have just been a bit more considerate as a person and totally made someone else's day and even turned their week around.

But no. Instead of putting our situational awareness to good use, we just let it slide.

Here are 7 instances where you have been a complete selfish toad when you could have been a somewhat okay Samaritan:

 

1. Did not help flag down the bus when you see someone running for it

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You are standing at the bus stop looking completely gormless with your earpiece in and music blasting when a bus pulls up. It's not your bus. People get on. People get off. And just as it is about to close its door, you spot someone from the corner of your eye running up to it from behind trying to flag it down.

What do you do? Instead of flagging for the bus and alerting the driver that someone still wants to get on, you continue to look gormless and pretend you didn't see a thing.

And as the bus drives off, the person running after it shakes his head with a sigh of resignation.

Best part? I mean, how much effort would it take you to lift a finger, literally, and wave for the driver's attention? Yet, you still had the temerity to mutter under your breath while giving the bus a dirty look as it drives off: "Stupid driver, purposely never check side mirror."

 

2. Did not shift one seat on the MRT for a couple to sit down

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You know how it's like when Singaporeans get on the train, right? Abiding by some hidden rule, everyone who manages to sit down leaves the seat beside empty out of politeness because they don't want others to intrude into their personal space.

And then a couple boards the train. They look around for a pair of seats side-by-side. You notice them and obviously know that it would cost you, at most, some friction to your buttocks to simply slide one seat to the left or right so two seats side-by-side becomes available.

Best part? But no. You pretend to fall asleep or fiddle with your phone and spend the next nine stops on the train as the Subway Sandwich of Awkwardness and in the couple's conversation -- literally -- as the couple sits to the left and right of you.

And you say to yourself in your head: "Want to sit together go take taxi, why must take train? So inconvenient."

 

3. Did not point lost person in the right direction when you obviously could

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So you were simply minding your own business, getting on with life when you walk pass two people: Someone asking another person for directions.

You see them yabbering and pointing all over the place and you not only overheard where the lost person wants to go exactly, but it is actually just straight ahead to the left where you are heading to now.

Best part? You show your initiative in this case by just walking off to where you want to go. By yourself.

And think: "Stupid Singaporean, stay in Singapore so long still don't know the way."

 

4. Did not give parking coupon that's still valid to someone else

You enter the car park and notice that a summon auntie is hovering over your car. You heave a massive sigh of relief because you decided against being a cheapskate this time round and tore the right number of coupons.

And then you look over to the next car beside yours: The parking coupon has expired.

Best part? Instead of being a Good Samaritan and leave your still-valid coupon on the windshield of the car next to yours to spare the driver a parking ticket, you get into your car and drive off.

As you do that, you think to yourself: "Who ask him so cheapskate? Can afford to buy car cannot afford 50 cents coupon. This will teach him a lesson."

 

5. Did not inform someone walking a long stretch to the toilet that it is actually closed

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You know how some shopping centre toilets are like? They are located at some uber obscure location seemingly to deter shoppers from relieving themselves or doing too superb a job trying to keep the restrooms away from the more public areas.

Regardless, after walking through what feels like an endless hike, you discover to your bladder's horror that the toilet hidden in some secret location is closed for washing. So you make your way back and on to another toilet-hunting adventure on the next floor.

As you walk out, you see another person in a frenetic toilet hunt, walking towards you to the toilet that you just abandoned.

Best part? You don't bother to gently tell the person that the toilet's unavailable because in your mind you reflexively think: "She could use some exercise."

 

6. Did not get up from your non-reserved seat because no one's looking

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As you are seated on one of the non-reserved seats, a somewhat elderly person boards the train. On both ends, the reserved seats have been occupied by people who are either unconscious, pregnant or looks like they deserve to be seated.

So what do you do? You look around to see if anyone is looking at you, giving you an accusatory look for still remaining seated in the midst of an elderly person. And when you realise that there are none, you remain seated.

Best part? You justify your actions in your head: "If this elderly person really wanted a seat, why not just ask? Later I stand up and offer my seat and get rejected, will be worse, right? Then someone who is fit and not pregnant and not old will get the seat."

 

7. Did not lend the stranger next to you in cashier queue your discount card

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So it's one of those days where the retail store you are at is holding one of those 20% off for-members-only.

How great! You are a member and you totally deserve to buy everything that has one-fifth off its total price and you are feeling smug that you have signed up to be a member at this awesome store in the first place.

When you are just done paying for your items at the cashier, you overhear the next customer, whom you don't know, being asked if she has a membership card to enjoy the discount. She said no.

Best part?: Instead of extending your card to lend it to her voluntarily so that she can also enjoy 20% discount off her items, you smirk a smirk and think to yourself: "Who ask you don't sign up earlier? No 20% discount for you!"

 

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