Chiang deems the behaviour of these children, and their parents “inconsiderate”.
He was traveling on board a West bound train to Boon Lay station at about 4 pm on 12 December when he spotted these two siblings “squealing and laughing, as if the train carriage was their very own playground.”
The train was not packed at that time, and he wondered why the children were not on the available seats.
He is especially concerned about the safety of the young girl seated right by the train doors as he feared her fingers would get stuck in the gap between the train doors. Also, he expressed fears that she might have gotten hurt should the train lurch.
November also worried about the safety or rather, lack of, of the boy who he described as “twisting around the pole” as once again, he feared the latter would be hurt should the train lurch. He also felt the child, in doing so, hampered the movements of commuters moving from one carriage to another.
November is upset that the mother of the children, and her female companion, seemed unfazed and unconcerned about their antics, where the boy even shouted “Bang! Ha, ha ha!” whilst he was playing. According to him, he did so for about a “full minute, before switching back to shrieking at his sister.”
What made matters worse was November described the adults as “sitting and watching with pride lighting their miens as the children wreaked havoc on the train.”
Likewise, tour guide Chang, 53, was on his way to town from Woodlands when he caught sight of two young boys playing in the crowded train carriage he was in on 12 December at about 9 am.
The two kids were accompanied by their mother and their maid, and according to Chang, the children were swinging on the pole and making a lot of noise.
"There were many other commuters on board the train at that time and some were trying to read and rest," said Chang.
He continued," they should show social consideration and behave better, though kids will be kids."
To make matters worse, one of the children wanted to climb up the pole to hang on to the handrail, and his maid asked her employer (the mother) if he could do so.
The mother had agreed.
Chang was surprised by her agreement as this meant the mother condoned the action of the child, and was "implicitly giving permission for him to misbehave."
