SMRT has always been sparing no effort in promoting gracious behaviour. Let others get out before you get in. Give up your seat to someone who needs it more (so we don’t have to provide more seats). Move away from the doors (we don’t care if you’re alighting soon, just let us pack as many people as we can).
And to get their message across this time, they’ve employed Gurmit Singh, the funny man who tickled local viewers from Channel 5 to Channel 8 with iconic characters like Phua Chu Kang. And if we look at the comments on YouTube, we realise that many people enjoyed this educational video.
“Don’t pray pray, let me out first”.
Huh? A foreigner may ask what on earth that means. Sure, Phua Chu Kang is funny and meaningful in front of a local audience. What about foreigners? Well, I saw an ang moh lady carrying a backpack dancing to the beat, but that’s not really the point. This is not part of the Arts Festival. There is a serious message behind Phua Chu Kang’s performance. If that message doesn’t get across, money would have been wasted.
This video has been played many times over in the MRT stations since it was first launched. Has it or will it ever make MRT users more gracious and considerate? To answer that question, we must first look at the people who need to be educated most.
The other day, as I was trying to get into the train at Dhoby Ghaut, a woman who was entering the train and talking loudly into her mobile phone suddenly made a U-turn at the door and walked out, pushing against the flow of boarding passengers. She was trying to catch a glimpse of the number of the station (NE6) to inform the person she was talking to.
Phu Chu Kang didn’t tell us not to do that. In fact, he didn’t even sing/rap in a language that this woman can understand. I think before we even try to produce a video that serves any educational purpose, we must first find out the language spoken by the majority of those who don’t behave in a considerate manner.
Do we have the appropriate talent for an effective educational video that targets the rapidly growing segment of our population that needs to be educated on considerate behaviour? You bet.
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