Beat Her Back?

I came across a story online today that highlighted the case of an elderly Singaporean woman who was slapped by foreigner on an MRT train.

Reportedly the SMRT station staff told the complainant to 'beat her back' which I find as disturbing as the alleged offence.

For those readers who are not aware, the MRT trains have reserved seats for the elderly and infirmed.  Much as I would like to say that these seats are always treated in a courteous fashion by fellow passengers, in many cases that I observed they were not.

The Indonesian passenger in question evidently took umbrage at the 6o year old Aunty's polite request that she remove her bag that was occupying one of the 'priority seats'.

The foreign 'seat-hogger' then proceeded to slap the elderly passenger on the face as the train alighted at its next stop (Admiralty), before hightailing it towards the station exit.

There are no excuses for an assault such as this and I hope the authorities can look through CCTV footage and find the assailant.

The Police Report of the alleged incident that was published online

I recall an argument we had with two foreign nationals on a bus when they refused to obey the signs which quite clearly told them they could not eat aboard.  The bus captain was none to keen to get involved as tempers rose, but in the end he asked the miscreants to leave the bus.

Although the result was what we would have expected, I have to say that the way we were treated by the captain (himself a foreigner-employee?) in asking fellow passengers to obey the Singapore laws, left us feeling as if we too were guilty of something.

Perhaps because I was an Ang Mo and my wife a Singaporean the driver thought we should not have complained, but to me laws are laws and there to be obeyed by all, for the benefit of all.

So I perfectly understand the anger and frustration of indigenous Singaporeans who see people who are contracted employees in their country behaving in this fashion.  The only way to change this type of behaviour is to stand up to it, not sit idly by.  I commend the Auntie for doing so and hope that they catch up with, and deal to, her assailant.