A lot has been said over the past week about how e-scooters have been banned from footpaths because some of its least safe users have developed the tendency to zip around at high speeds to the detriment of regular pedestrians.

And quite a bit has also been said about the Meet-the-People Session gatherings, where personal mobility device users have congregated to collectively disagree with the e-scooter ban and make Members of Parliament avail themselves to hear the grievances.

While this issue appears to be pitting pedestrians against PMD users, there is another dimension to it, which the public has yet to encounter.

And it is about the views of the personal mobility aid (PMA) users in the midst of a polarising debate about pedestrians and PMDs.

PMA user frustrated

As luck would have it, it turns out there was a vocal and feisty PMA user, who managed to get his views heard and registered on video during the Tuesday, Nov. 12, MPS at Toa Payoh with PAP MP Chee Hong Tat.

The PMA user's gripe?

He has had it up to here with pedestrians who lack the situational awareness and courtesy to give way to people with needs and who are less mobile like him, who rely on a motorised wheelchair just to get around.

For people with mobility, it is easy to overlook or not being able to put oneself in the shoes (pun intended) of others who lack mobility.

But some of these pedestrian zombies are not clueless by default.

They are the consequence of being cut off from the stimuli of their immediate environment, as they are plugged into their gadgets, such as earphones, and as a result, are just unable to know whose way they are blocking.

This was what the PMA user said:

"They also don't worry we all driver, or I'm handicapped."

"All the people walking around. They also put ear piece and walking around. They totally don't bother at all."

"Even my horn, you see? I don't bother with this horn." [Soft buzzer sound]

"Until I change this horn." [Louder buzzer]

"They also don't bother. Then our fault?"

"Then sometimes they point finger to us? Our fault?"

"If I can come down and stand up and fight with them, I don't mind, you know." [Nervous laughter from crowd]

"Not only the riders' problem. It's the walking problem."

You can watch the 35-second video of what was said here:

Not a new issue

This issue of not giving way is definitely not new.

It has been brought up time and again like clockwork for many years now, despite ongoing campaigns annually reminding Singaporeans to give way to others with more pressing needs.

This image came from an incident a few years ago:

It also ties back to what Professor Tommy Koh said recently on Oct. 1 during the Singapore Bicentennial Conference, when he undiplomatically called Singaporeans "Third World people".

Far from it being an epithet to put down Singaporeans and Third World people, the professor's point was that some Singaporeans will still treat others like sh*t if they can get away with it.

And it took a PMA user to highlight this issue at a time when PMD users and pedestrians are having a go at each other.

Apt.