Tram Story 1

As usual, people piling into trams late in the afternoon... your young (and old) professionals, university students, parents with their school-age youngsters, (occasionally) some hippies and (one time too many) psychos, and [the others] as I would lazily categorise them. And per usual, whenever I get a seat I prefer one not by the window just for ease of getting out; you would imagine how crammed this "popular" mode of transport can get as more people push their way in at each stop.

I usually keep to myself. Of course there will be those who are the chatty type and try to strike a conversation, and that's alright. But generally, I just like to observe... or listen. No kidding, there are some "interesting" conversations one could overhear in his time travelling. "Interesting" encompasses a wide range of meaning, mind you, unpleasant being one of them. But for now, let's leave those at that.

What boggled my mind yesterday was the contradiction of what would commonly be good manners and right conduct. A mother and her young son (6-years old at maximum I would guess) hopped on board. The mom sat beside me while the boy sat across her. She gave him a bickie, he happily munched on it. First stop, he finished his food and started yapping (good manneredly of course). Second stop, she gave him another bickie... perhaps to shut him up... hee-hee! Third stop, more people piled in, including a lady probably in her 50s... but she has white hair. The young boy promptly stood up and offered his seat to her! Good on him, I couldn't help but smile. In a foreign language which I could understand, he happily seeked for his mom's approval saying: "I did the right thing eh? I offered my seat to an old person!" At this point I was amused, not with his action which I admire, but with his definition of an old person (I'm sure it's the white hair). All of a sudden the mom retorted: "Why did you have to do that?! Now you have to stand." She is obviously annoyed, and this for sure befuddled the young mind of this very well-mannered boy.

And I thought... what a parent. Wasn't she cranky! Instead of praising her child for being a gentleman, she disapproved of his good manners. Sometimes children make more sense than adults, really. I've seen many instances when an old person is ignored and left staggering in a moving tram, or passengers avoiding eye contact with an elderly or pregnant woman just so they won't have to offer their seats. Incredulous!

For the mom, shame on her. She needs to be educated by a small child.