'Everyday is a new day!' A quote which I had made many years back while I was at a friends chalet in Loyang. I have since then seldom used it. In fact, I have long adopted a new quote, 'It's hell out there!' Life hasn't been so beautiful everyday, since I started working. I always had to end up having a long face when I reach my workplace at NUS. Why so? In order to avoid cramping into the packed No. 74 bus which is a direct service, I have decided to brave the raging flames of hell by taking the MRT train. The torment begins the minute I step onto the boarding platform. The platform at AMK is always packed with commuters who need to travel to the town area to work.
The first level of hell, Gates of Hell. These gates of hell governs the entering and exit of all the fearsome souls (commuters). These 'not-so-big' doors have tremendous strength in order to seal the air pressure in tightly when the train travels within the tunnels. The misconception that these doors are secured with a touch sensor device which will open up the doors has led to plenty of suffering. In order for commuters not to wait for another 2 minutes, they would, at the risk of their lifes, dash into an already pack sardine can. Some smart alecks might just get on with a bruised head or shoulders when they think that they can activate the 'sensor', while some poors souls might just have to end up not being able to board and as well have the door shut a millimetre away from their noses. In some cases, you might just board safely, but had to have their faces stuck to the greasy window. As a matter of fact, there actually is a sensor but this sensor is in the a touch sensor, for goodness sake, the black rubber cushions are just rubber! They have no sensor capability. But this built-in mechanism actually functions to recoils the doors back open when there is a reverse impact when the doors are closing, for example putting a luggage case between the doors. Some lucky but selfish parents, benefited from this when they race down the platform and use their prams to block the doors. Come on! Give the poor child a break! This is no crash-test dummy act!
The worst about the Gates of Hell, is when the train reaches the destination where most of the commuters actually alight while another wave of commuters preparing themselves waiting to board. As the train stops, it takes a spilt second delay for the doors to open. That is when you feel the force push you towards the door (inside the train) and you can see the hungry souls cramming towards the door (from the outside) as if there are food for them to feast. Hence, the second the door opens, the beginning of a rugby match begins. Both teams will start their head-on clash and vie for one objective, the first (to either get a seat or to board the escalator). No matter what, ladies seems to always be the first and the winner. Why? I guess they have a sacred armour with spikes that no men dares to go near or even physically contact.
This doesn't look so bad... Well, least that lady looked scary! ~ picture taken from Nokia 6230 by myBE@RBRICK
The next level is the Escalator to Freedom. Why is that so? As you can already see from the picture. The further escalator is packed with commuters while not the nearer one. Both travels in different directions. The nearer one goes down and down to hell it goes. Thus, the further will be the one that goes up, not to heaven, but to earth, to civilisation, mankind (blah, blah, blah..) The steps on the escalator can accomodate 2 persons. The left is usually for the stationary souls who wish not to exit hell that soon (Well, to hell with them!). The right is usually the expressway to earth, where it is meant for souls who are indeed in a hurry to leave hell (Hell yeah, I am one!). There are sometimes some pea-brains who would be stationary on the express lane (DUH! Need we say more? It's express lane!) Then you have some small midget souls who would occupy both the stationary lane and the express lane. These are souls who cannot make up their mind, which we call 'mindless souls'.
The swift and compact flow of commuters going in a one way direction, from hades to earth, but not the other. ~ picture taken from Nokia 6230 by myBE@RBRICK
Anyway, no matter how harsh the environment might get, we have no choice but to brave through our daily ordeals, in order to arrive at work on the dot.
The first level of hell, Gates of Hell. These gates of hell governs the entering and exit of all the fearsome souls (commuters). These 'not-so-big' doors have tremendous strength in order to seal the air pressure in tightly when the train travels within the tunnels. The misconception that these doors are secured with a touch sensor device which will open up the doors has led to plenty of suffering. In order for commuters not to wait for another 2 minutes, they would, at the risk of their lifes, dash into an already pack sardine can. Some smart alecks might just get on with a bruised head or shoulders when they think that they can activate the 'sensor', while some poors souls might just have to end up not being able to board and as well have the door shut a millimetre away from their noses. In some cases, you might just board safely, but had to have their faces stuck to the greasy window. As a matter of fact, there actually is a sensor but this sensor is in the a touch sensor, for goodness sake, the black rubber cushions are just rubber! They have no sensor capability. But this built-in mechanism actually functions to recoils the doors back open when there is a reverse impact when the doors are closing, for example putting a luggage case between the doors. Some lucky but selfish parents, benefited from this when they race down the platform and use their prams to block the doors. Come on! Give the poor child a break! This is no crash-test dummy act!
... black rubber cushions are just rubber!
The worst about the Gates of Hell, is when the train reaches the destination where most of the commuters actually alight while another wave of commuters preparing themselves waiting to board. As the train stops, it takes a spilt second delay for the doors to open. That is when you feel the force push you towards the door (inside the train) and you can see the hungry souls cramming towards the door (from the outside) as if there are food for them to feast. Hence, the second the door opens, the beginning of a rugby match begins. Both teams will start their head-on clash and vie for one objective, the first (to either get a seat or to board the escalator). No matter what, ladies seems to always be the first and the winner. Why? I guess they have a sacred armour with spikes that no men dares to go near or even physically contact.
... a rugby match begins
This doesn't look so bad... Well, least that lady looked scary! ~ picture taken from Nokia 6230 by myBE@RBRICK
The next level is the Escalator to Freedom. Why is that so? As you can already see from the picture. The further escalator is packed with commuters while not the nearer one. Both travels in different directions. The nearer one goes down and down to hell it goes. Thus, the further will be the one that goes up, not to heaven, but to earth, to civilisation, mankind (blah, blah, blah..) The steps on the escalator can accomodate 2 persons. The left is usually for the stationary souls who wish not to exit hell that soon (Well, to hell with them!). The right is usually the expressway to earth, where it is meant for souls who are indeed in a hurry to leave hell (Hell yeah, I am one!). There are sometimes some pea-brains who would be stationary on the express lane (DUH! Need we say more? It's express lane!) Then you have some small midget souls who would occupy both the stationary lane and the express lane. These are souls who cannot make up their mind, which we call 'mindless souls'.
Need we say more? It's the express lane!
The swift and compact flow of commuters going in a one way direction, from hades to earth, but not the other. ~ picture taken from Nokia 6230 by myBE@RBRICK
Anyway, no matter how harsh the environment might get, we have no choice but to brave through our daily ordeals, in order to arrive at work on the dot.
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