A not very happy journey starts like that

A not very happy journey starts like that

You are standing behind the yellow line like every other fellow commuter, waiting to board the next train which is arriving in six minutes. The "please stand behind the yellow line" announcement is made over four different languages as expected.

You look around the train station as you had nothing to do. You see a bunch of teenagers in school uniforms, who were rather obstreperous and antagonizing the people around them. A young couple strolled past you while heading towards the last "door" at the end for some privacy

Starting to get impatient as you are bored, you turned to the screen projecting the amount of time left for the next train to arrive. The number stated on it is one. You heaved a sigh of relief as you have finally laboured through five long minutes of waiting

As expected, you hear the the sounds of the current flowing through the railway tracks as the train approaches the station. Less than three seconds later, the train bursted into the station with a roar. Those who were sitting down stood up, those who were standing moved nearer to the yellow line

By the time that big, long and black monster stops. Everyone was crowding in front of the door. You had to be equally selfish and kiasu for the sake of not losing out. The doors slide open and everyone rushed in. The train was relatively empty. You decide to sit at the seat nearest to the door which is labelled as "priority seat". There were advertisements of the happy journey campaign pasted on the windows. The train moves off

More than ninety percent of the seats were taken up. The train reaches the next stop, more people enter the carriage, some stood nearer the doors, some moved inside and held the grab poles while others looked around frantically for an empty seat to no avail

Suddenly, you felt rather uneasy as you are sitting at the priority seat. You pondered whether should you stand up and give up your seat to someone among the standing crowd who needs it more than you. You monitored the area around you, there was a middle-aged man with a considerable amount of grey hair to be labelled as a senior citizen

You really wanted to get up and approach the guy but didn't do it because he was too far away and by the time both of you walk back, someone else might have taken the seat. You felt guilty that your analytical skills got the better of your kind heart. Next, you spotted three kids having fun at a corner

Thinking that a young child like them might need the seat more than yourself, you again wanted to give your seat up but didn't do it. You can't bear to deprive them of their childhood. The trio were having so much fun and laughter. If one of them is seated, he will not get to play with the other two. You know how important and precious one's childhood is therefore you "let them off"

Still feeling culpable for sitting at the priority seat, you scanned through the carriage again for another target. No pregnant women, no handicapped people and some soon to be senior citizens whom you think are not entitled to the seat

All of a sudden, the woman seated two places to your left stood up and gestured one the kids that she is giving up her seat to him. He sat down as told. You felt a big splash of guilt on yourself and a tinge of embarrassment. You can't wait to get out of the train. Just two more stops, you told yourself

When you finally alighted, you told yourself that you learned a lesson. Never sit at a priority seat in the train again unless you want to feel guilty, embarrassed and useless. You decide to go write a snarky blog entry about this entire thing

But deep down in your heart, you knew that this happy journey campaign did work somehow or another