Why are Singaporeans not making enough babies?

Because Singapore is scarcely a society friendly to babies, expecting mothers and mothers who have to rely on public transport to get around with their infants.

Public transportation still a nightmare for mothers

A young mother, who gets around Singapore on public transport with her infant who is not even a year old, has had it up to here with the transportation system and its commuters.

She was provoked enough to put up a Facebook post relating her experiences over the years.

Scolded for using pram, denied seat when pregnant etc.

According to her post on Sept. 22, the mother voiced out, in no uncertain terms, against the ridiculousness of the situations she has to face on a daily basis, that only serve to add to her parenting woes.

Her experiences stemmed from the days when she was an expecting woman, to her current role as a mother taking care of a 10-and-a-half-month-old infant.

She said she has been berated publicly with vulgarities for using a pram on the MRT train, reprimanded for asking politely for a seat when she was pregnant, even told to give up her reserved seat when she was expecting because it is for the elderly, and not given priority to use the lifts these days as they are constantly hogged by able-bodied commuters.

And when she uses the escalator with her pram, people will pass judgement and blame her for being inconsiderate instead.

Here is her post in full:

In Singapore, 5:45pm at paya lebar mrt station on a friday it will already be packed like sardines.. I'm a mom with my son aged 10.5 months old. As I board the green line train towards pasir ris, I stood at the side of the door after entering, as there was barely enough space for me to move in with my baby in the stroller. One woman in her late 50s stood came close to me. Thinking that she wants to alight at eunos so I didn't bother about her.

As the train was reaching eunos she looked at me and raised her voice 'Do you have any conscious to move your FU***** big pram so that me and other commuters can exit?' I replied calmly even when she used vulgarities, 'there's no space for me to move'. She started raising her voice even higher, 'excuse me you're only paying one ticket! ' before I could react, she was making her way out of the door, . She left me an impression of 'crazy stressed singaporean'.

When I was expecting, I got rejected when I asked for seats with a bulging tummy, got reprimanded when I sat on a reserved seat cause the person mentioned its meant for elderly only, but I had never thought about posting it on social media. Even when on 2nd of april 2017, strollers could be used on bus, I had always make it a point to give way to others, nobody owes me a living, I can be the last to alight. I will wait.

Attached photo is just an example of what I face, in a normal day of going out with my son alone. Many times, parents face situations like this. Even when the lift clearly states 'Please give way to elderly, handicapped, expecting woman and parents with kids', many able bodied students and working adults can't seem to understand the picture. Seldom do I see that there's anyone who would give way to parents like us. Don't blame the parents who use strollers on escalators. They had no choice. Don't blame the parents who use cargo lifts. They had no choice too. Don't tell us to take grab or uber everyday. Why not you the one who is complaining, try to take it everyday. If you are capable, you won't even have to squeeze on the train too.

Parenting is stressful enough. Just as much as I wanted to reprimand people who do not give way to me, I did not. Just as much as I wanted to reprimand people who do not need what they are using, i did not. Don't spoil someone else's day just because you had a bad day.

Disgraceful enough, not only these people look stressed but lazy too because they have no empathy at all.