Challenging behaviours!!!

2 Bangladesh boarded the MRT train at Little India, stood very close to me despite the fact that the train is very empty. I had no choice but to block and give the older man a gentle push when he attempted to stand even closer.


Likely getting my signal of frustration, the older man signaled the younger man to move away and both seated at the priority seat. Once seated, the younger man put his right leg over the left leg, and his head on the shoulder of the older man. To top it up, they started making sexually offending funny faces and gestures to the little girl seated next to his father, opposite them.


I am not against having foreigners and I had seen good foreigners in Singapore too. The lady that let me have her seat when I was carrying my sleeping daughter, and the young man who offered to call ambulance and guide the paramedics when I am helping an unconscious man were some examples of good foreigners in Singapore. 


However, the frequency of such disgusted act by the foreigners is far more frequent and obvious. How am I going to educate my daughter and the clients with intellectual disability I am supporting at work on such unacceptable behaviours? “Oh, they are bad people!” right? Then why are there so many of them out there and aren’t anybody doing something to improve the situation?


Currently, research I read tells me that it’s always good to expose people with intellectual disability in the society. Not only will they be given the chance to learn and practice the skills to live within the community, it also enables them to learn socially acceptable behaviours in the community. Well… are putting one’s legs over another person’s leg and leaning on the shoulder of another person of the same sex, and making sexually offending funny faces and gestures an acceptable social behaviour? I wonder…


Culture is not a good excuse. If it’s your culture, then please ensure you do it in your country, in private and practice it among your friends with the same culture. This applies to everybody, regardless of our skin colour. I recalled once I was equally disgusted when I learn that an old Englishman in his 50s intended to leave his wife in the hotel and persistently requested a date to flirt with a younger local lady in her 20s. 


Whether your populations are growing or you are of a higher social status/class, this doesn’t mean that everybody else should comply with your so call cultural practices. 


Please respect others, if you want others to respect you as an individual.