It's A Fine City.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPh6IO1r7UsBEoS59b6sYx6HEERWLv8tuOCMB48RX_R9F9vmPMknl0_4tTmHlaRBTCYgEGm0BVnJaxuyTHgQx7C8KNOpHqFCrPk6LA3m86rJuJv-yIPe3iLy6rnyWZIaY42BhygQ/s320/Fine+City.jpg

NO smoking. NO littering. NO pissing in lifts. NO feeding of birds. NO trespassing. NO or ... let's stop here.

Over the years to project Singapore as a city desirable for work, play and living, the Government have adopted several methods in achieving their goals, many of which are subjects for debate and uncles' & aunties' kopitiam 'keng gai' (small chats it means in Canto). Being a Singaporean, I am sure many know of these issues as well as knowing katong is famous for the laksa and the exotic Changi Village for people looking for after-work thrills. We complain, we discuss, but many of us are afraid to raise the topic quite publicly enough that top ministers can hear us from a stone-throw away. While a few brave souls did, few or no rectification was made.

Now that I'm going to continue ... I feel like I should submit a formal petition to the organisation involved. Otherwise I'm just a typical Singaporean that sits back and waits for someone or something to happen. We'll talk about it in a few minutes.

Apart from being green and clean many tourists and foreigners know us for, our rising popularity as the 'fine' city is not unnoticeable, such that souveniors shops courageously display souveniors depicting the various fines that tourists find them unfamiliar and laughable. The most recent topic has been the strong enforcement of the banning of any food and beverages in MRT trains and platforms. Nothing wrong with that, but I think SMRT have gone too far to ensure no one eats or drinks in their value-added public transport.

I agree that it is an annoyance to fellow commuters to smell pungent lozenges or food, especially to late-risers rushing for work and do not have breakfast until they reach their workplace, and I also commend the effort to stomp irresponsible people from dirtying the cabins. However, I do not understand why plain water is also not allowed in trains. Yes, spillage can incur inconveniences to other commuters, but as a local that travels by public transport daily, I do not encounter that kind of problem as often as people carrying in wet umbrellas.

It is particularly frustrating to know that you cannot have any sips of water when you are going to travel from the west to the east. Yes train journeys in Singapore are not comparably lengthy to those countries with more lands, and the near completion of the Circle Line is going to further shorten the journey for many commuters, but it is sheer frustration to people who badly need to have a sip or two every now and then.

Considering the fact that Singapore's climate is tropical, we are losing lots of water through perspiration and respiration. Morning and evening weekday crowds worsen the situation. Yet, we are not allowed to quench our thirst and replenish the water we have lost while battling our way through the sea of people. What about those people on medications that have diuretic effects on our biological system? What about young children who are ever energetic and need water to keep their energy level up? It is definitely a flaw in the system that SMRT should look to mend.

Haha, now you see why I am embarrassing myself by voicing my concerns on my blog and not raising the issue on a more suitable platform where the people concerned will be notified. It just makes me more typical of a Singaporean to complain to someone unrelated, isn't it? Well, I am proud being a Singaporean, although some things must change. I approve of some bans here, but some are unreasonable. Hopefully the younger generations of Ministers in the future will look into these matter more carefully and address them with more tact and efficiency. This shall end my complaint here. Haha.