It's about time, say MRT passengers

RULE BREAKERS: Commuters have been spotted eating a variety of food on trains. An SMRT officer (right bottom) on Wednesday caught an errant passenger.

They give thumbs up to SMRT blitz on errant commuters but they also want more to be done

EVEN as commuters applaud the move by the SMRT to clamp down on inconsiderate train commuters, many are eager for more to be done.

In a two-hour blitz on Wednesday, SMRT went after commuters who ate and drank on the trains, and served eight passengers with a Notification of Offences, which meant they would have to pay a fine to the Land Transport Authority.

Each could be fined up to $500. The number of inconsiderate commuters caught has been rising since 2006 from 276 to 550 in 2007, to 595 last year.

To drive home the message that it means business, SMRT will deploy 500 employees on roving duty on trains to look out for commuters who eat or drink.

And, as long as such inconsiderate behaviour persists, the company will not let up on its efforts to stamp it out.

Yesterday, Mr Raymond Tan, 29, a sales manager, was all praise for the officers but added that there were other issues that the SMRT should look into as well.

"Ungracious behaviour will be a more difficult issue to tackle. Despite public campaigns, there are many who just turn a blind eye and hog seats meant for the elderly or those who are pregnant. That's just plain rude, but I know it's not something which one can deal with by imposing fines or punishment," he said.

For months, Stompers have groused, criticised and lambasted inconsiderate MRT commuters who eat and drink on trains, engage in public displays of affection or ignore commuters who need seats more than they do.

Miss Geraldine Lim, a 20-year-old student, believed that citizen journalism has spurred SMRT to take stricter measures against offenders.

She told my paper: "Stompers act as another pair of eyes for the public and even government bodies. Whatever these people have captured on their cameras, be it public displays of affection or commuters eating on trains, could be useful."

She added: "The many pictures of commuters eating and drinking on trains must have made SMRT see the gravity of the situation."

Student Suffian Hakim, 23, said: "Finally, the chances of seeing cheese or chilli on the train floor will be slimmer. I guess the sign that warns commuters that they'd be fined $500 is not enough, so it's good that SMRT is stepping up its efforts."

Another commuter, Miss Vivien Chong, 32, an administrative manager, said she hoped that the days of the ugly train commuter would be over.

"What the SMRT officers do is a good start. But what matters more is that we learn to be more considerate to others. What does it say about us if, day in, day out, commuters continue to hog the seats meant for those who need them more?" she said.

Wah lau! Couple locks lips in hot kiss in public during peak hour

STOMPer June was so shocked to see this couple kissing openly during the peak lunch hour.

She was so shocked that she exclaimed "wah lau" several times while taking a video of the couple kissing.

She said:

"The lunch hour crowd swept in, but this couple was lost in their own world."

SMRT加强取缔 地铁上吃喝当场受罚

SMRT从昨天开始，加强取缔在地铁上吃喝的行为。

当局以往发现有人在车厢内吃喝，有时只给予口头警告。今后500多名地铁职员将每天轮流巡视车厢，一旦发现乘客违例，就会当场开罚单。

在地铁月台和车厢内违规饮食的情况越来越严重，SMRT企业从昨天起加强取缔行动，违例者今后会当场接到罚单。

地铁站和车厢内向来禁止饮食，以往SMRT职员若发现有人在车厢内吃喝，有时会网开一面，只给予口头警告。但今后500多名地铁站职员将每天分批轮流巡视车厢，一旦发现乘客违例，就会当场开罚单（Notification of Offence）。

昨天下午短短两个小时的取缔行动中，共有八名乘客被逮个正着，其中三人在车厢内喝水，两人分别吃花生和糖，两人喝泡泡茶，一人吃雪糕。

这些违例者中好些是学生，也有一个年轻妈妈因为允许年幼女儿边搭车边吃冰淇淋而接获罚单。

根据快捷交通系统法令（Rapid Transit Systems Act），初犯者可面对罚款30元，一旦被控上法庭，重犯者可被罚最高500元。

尽管地铁车厢里明显张挂了“不准饮食”的标牌，地铁中央广播系统也不断重复播出相关信息，一些乘客还是照吃照喝。

过去几年来，因在地铁上违例饮食而被捉的乘客有增加趋势，前年SMRT企业总共发出550张罚单，比上一年的276张增加一倍。去年开出的罚单有595张，增加了约一成；今年首半年里则有235张。

经营东北线的新捷运去年发出34张罚单，比前年的10张增加了两倍。

这些在地铁上违规饮食的画面也被其他乘客拍了下来，在报章和网站上普遍流传，有些人甚至肆无忌惮在车上吃汤面。

这类违例案增加也可能同地铁乘客量增加有关，今年首季的公共交通乘客量达487万人次，比去年同期的478万人次增加将近2%。

新捷运联络总监陈爱玲受询时说：“公司客户服务员不时会在车厢上巡逻，这将起着一定的阻吓作用，违规者将接到警告，如果他们不听劝告就会收到罚单。”

SMRT企业发言人表示，有人违例在地铁站或车厢上饮食，是乘客最常投诉的问题之一。有鉴于此，自去年8月开始在地铁站负责疏导人流的SMRT服务使者负起多一个任务，就是劝阻乘客在车上饮食，一旦发现有人违例，就会当场开罚单。

SMRT企业表示，将继续加强取缔直至违例者明显减少为止，以杜绝乘客在地铁上饮食的陋习。有些乘客就担心，万一身体不适或幼童需要喝水会无辜被罚。

三个月前产下男婴的蔡宛璇说：“如果宝宝在搭地铁途中真需要喝奶或喝水，不可能要妈妈在下一站下车后才喂他。如果只是喂孩子喝点水，没弄脏车厢或干扰其他乘客，我觉得应该没什么关系。”

No eating in trains...so girl eats while waiting for one

A STOMPer saw this girl eating at Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station while waiting for the train to arrive.

Said the STOMPer:

"She was eating some snacks while waiting for the train at the station.

"We're not allowed to eat inside the train, so does it mean she can eat at the platform while waiting for the train to arrive?

"She finished her food before she boarded the train."

Really inconsiderate! A sit-down meal on the MRT train floor

A STOMPer was in disbelief when he saw these 2 young boys sitting on the floor and eating in the train blatantly.

MiniMad told STOMP via email yesterday (July 7):

"Really cannot believe it...

"2 students eating on the train.

"And they are still sitting down on the floor eating.

"This is really inconsiderate."

易通卡公司推出 巴士地铁两用月票

新推出的易卡通月票不能让人省钱，只能减去添值得麻烦。

易 通卡公司昨天推出适用于巴士和地铁的月票，但价格算起来不能让搭客省钱，只能让乘客省下时不时需要为卡添值的麻烦。新易通卡月票分“基本”和“增值”月票 两种，有效期分为每星期和每月两种。基本月票每月170元，每星期45元，能让乘客每天无限制乘搭巴士，和一天乘搭四次地铁。增值月票每月售卖190元， 每星期50元，能让人每天无限制地乘搭地铁和巴士。

根据计算，任何搭客每天必须花上至少5元6角的车资，每个月才能节省到车票钱。

一般人每天上下班只需乘搭两次的地铁或巴士，因此不太可能会花上这笔钱。即使是从巴西立乘搭地铁东西线到裕群站（Joo Koon）最长的地铁路线，也只需花上1元82分。乘搭巴士走同样的路线，也只需花上1元65分的车费。

易通卡月票虽然不能让乘客减少交通上的费用，但能减去乘客时不时需要为卡充值的麻烦。此外，月票也附带了一些零售折扣。易通卡公司推出新月票的目的 是为了方便人们整理一个月的开支，让乘客容易计算每月花在交通上的费用。SBS巴士公司目前也提供自己的巴士月票，每个月售卖98元，只限用于巴士。

从8月1日到10月31日的促销期间，有效期一星期的通票售卖40元，月票售卖155元。公众能到任何地铁站，只需携带一张身份证照片和填写表格就能申请，或上网www.ezlink.com.sg下载表格，通过邮寄方式申请。

Strange to see man putting hand in another man's pocket

A STOMPer found it strange to see a man placing his hand in another man's pocket in the MRT.

Said the STOMPer:

"I was on the way back to Admiralty from Ang Mo Kio on June 4 at about 7.45pm.

"I thought that it was strange to see a man putting his hand casually into another man's pocket in public."

Head hits train again and again

HE FELL forward and his head hit the train as it was pulling into the station.

And as the train braked and slowed, Mr Chua Leong Hua's head continued bumping against the moving train - until a fellow commuter on the platform saw what happened and pulled him away.

By the time help arrived, Mr Chua, 59, was dead.

A post-mortem showed that he had suffered a heart attack. And the impact of his head hitting the train repeatedly caused him to suffer massive head injuries.

Last month, State Coroner Victor Yeo recorded a verdict of misadventure into Mr Chua's death, saying that it was 'a most unfortunate accident'.

This is believed to be the first incident of its kind.

The court heard that Mr Chua, a general worker at a Tuas factory, left his Bukit Batok flat on 6 Feb at about 5.15am.

It was the usual time he left his home to catch the first train to work.

During the inquiry, the court was shown the security camera footage of the incident, which happened at the Bukit Batok MRT Station.

The footage showed Mr Chua standing near the end of the platform as he waited for the train at about 5.45am that day.

He and other commuters were standing behind the yellow line.

Just as the north-bound train was pulling into the above-ground station, Mr Chua suddenly fell forward and his head hit against the first cabin of the incoming train.

His upper body was bent at about 45 degrees, with his head leaning against the moving train.

This resulted in his head being hit repeatedly until a commuter pulled him away.

The train then came to an abrupt stop when someone pressed the emergency stop button.The court heard that by then, the train was about 5m to 6m away from its normal stopping position.

The driver alighted and saw Mr Chua lying in a pool of blood on the platform next to the last cabin.

His haversack, which contained his work attire, was beside him.

The driver, Mr Qaser Muhetheen, said that he did not see any passengers with his head sticking out of the platform when he was pulling into the station.

The train was travelling at about 40km/h at that time.

Wife can't deal with footage

The security footage did not show anyone pushing Mr Chua. Neither did he run towards the incoming train.

Mr Yeo concluded that due to Mr Chua's underlying heart disease, the latter had very likely suffered a heart attack and fainted forward as the train was pulling in.

This resulted in his head hitting the side of the moving train, causing him to sustain fatal injuries.

Mr Chua's wife, Madam Neo Kuan, 57, was present at the inquiry.

She had been married to Mr Chua for 28years and they have two sons, aged 27 and 22.

Madam Neo asked to leave the court temporarily when the security footage was played.

She told The New Paper that it was 'too cruel' to watch how her husband died.

Said Madam Neo in Mandarin: 'I couldn't bear to watch it, so I left and returned later for the verdict. His head was badly hurt in the incident.'

She added that her husband was a hardworking man who seldom took leave from work.

'Although he wasn't earning much, he always did his best to provide for the family,' she said.

Mr Chua did not have a high education but he took up English night classes so that he could improve himself.

Madam Neo said that her husband had suffered from high blood pressure and high cholesterol for almost two years.

She said: 'He had been taking medication for high blood pressure. But he never complained about the medication causing him drowsiness or dizziness.'

She did not know if her husband suffered from any heart diseases, but said that he had been a smoker for 20 years.

Recalling how she never got to say goodbye to her husband, Madam Neo said that she was still sleeping when Mr Chua left for work that day.

'He would eat breakfast at a coffee shop near his workplace before starting work,' said Madam Neo.

'If he was not feeling well that day, he would have told me and he would not have gone to work. But he did not say anything.'

The Land Transport Authority had announced in September 2008 that platform screen doors will be built for all above-ground stations by 2012.

The 1.5m-tall doors could prevent similar accidents from happening.

Underground stations already have screen doors that prevent commuters from coming into contact with the trains as they are pulling in.

Man in 30s watch porno on mobile phone on MRT train

A STOMPer was shocked after he happened to catch a glimpse of what the man was watching on his handphone.

In an email to STOMP today (June 20), the STOMPer wrote:

I was flabbergasted by this man on June 18.

“I was taking a Northeast line train from Dhoby Ghaut to Kovan in the afternoon. There was this chinese man, age around thirties dressed in red shirt and white burmunda pants.

“He was looking down at his pants, at a small portable cellphone.

“He was smiling silently, and gave a sort of pervert look. So I tiled my head in such an angle to peek at what he was watching.

“I was shocked when I saw the content inside his phone. The video he was watching was a pair of couple engaging in sexual activity. In short, he was watching pornography in a public place.

“I stared at him hard for a very long time, hoped that he would stop such nonsensical act.

“Apparently he was so engrossed with his sexual video that he did not realise I was staring at him.

“Lucky for him, I am male and I not that offended by his act. But what happen if it is a lady? Seriously, he may want to consider watching such video privately at home.”

OK to carry pup into MRT train?

STOMPer Jacky Chen found it ridiculous that a couple brought a dog into the MRT by putting it inside a large carton box.

In an email to STOMP today (June 22), the STOMPer says:

“A couple brought a dog up the MRT by putting it inside a large carton box.

“Really ridiculous! The dog is however very cute.”

STOMP is contacting SMRT for comments.

Unusal MRT Mishap

Stop Hogging That Priority Seat!