Tale of Two Trains

Train One: Ampang to Masjid Jamek
A few months ago, I rode on the LRT train on the way to work and I had to stand as there were no seats left. I was fine with that and I stood near the door, facing my fellow commuters. I noticed with amusement that one whole row of seats were filled with men. Young, strapping, able-bodied young men dressed in their suits and ties. I'm not a feminist and I still believe in chivalry... but of course I wasn't going to make a fuss over something silly like that....

We stopped at the Maluri station and a horde of people came in. One of them was a very, heavily pregnant woman. She must've been at least 8 months pregnant. She was carrying two large plastic bags of groceries (I think she just came back from the morning market) and in her other hand, she held an umbrella. Here was a woman obviously in need of a seat. It didn't occur to me that no one would offer her one. But that's exactly what happened.... NO ONE offered the pregnant lady a seat.

All the men were sitting on a row of seats with a sign above their heads stating that the seats should be reserved for the 'more needy'.
A pregnant woman with packages vs. A young man with a suitcase - who should win this fight?
In that train I was in, the men won the fight.

I looked at them incredulously. Come ON! Just stand up and offer the lady a seat! But nnoooo.... they just carried on reading their newspapers and some just closed their eyes, feigning sleep. (I swear, this is ALL true).
And I really should be fair and tell you that there were women there who did the same. Young women with sturdy legs. Not one of them offered the pregnant lady a seat.

All I could do was offer to hold her bags while she wrapped her arms around the metal pole. She got off at the next station and tottered on home, probably worrying about the kind of world she's bringing her child into.

Train Two: Masjid Jamek to Bukit Jalil
I was on my way from work to meet my fiance for dinner. I stood by the tracks, waiting for the train to Bukit Jalil. A blind couple were sitting on the bench nearby, flanked by their two young children. The Ampang train arrived at the station. The children nudged their parents and held their hands, leading them to the train. I could see inside the train. It was packed. All the seats were taken and there was barely enough standing room.

When the blind couple entered the train, a young boy with spiky hair and a walkman stood up and called the two children to lead the couple to his seat. The young boy's actions had caught the attention of everyone else and wonderfully, everyone, yes EVERYONE, stood up while the family settled themselves in their seats.
It was an act of pure, un-planned, mass courtesy.

I was amazed... and absolutely delighted.

There's still hope for us after all........

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. -Margaret Mead (1901 - 1978)-