Some people seem to really dislike their time taki…
Some people seem to really dislike their time taking the MRT. I always have a book and my iPod to keep myself occupied, but I’ve lost count of the times a woman* has sat down next to me and immediately began fidgeting around, taking out her cell phone to stare at, rustling through her purse, etc. Eventually she’ll run out of things to do, and stay still…for about ten seconds. Then the cycle will begin again.
I suppose it could be sitting next to a non-ethnically Asian person. I love the little pause that ensues when a woman walks up to the empty seat next to me, most of the time the only empty seat in the vicinity. I count the seconds as she’s brought up short in confusion over my appearance and considers whether it’s worth it to take the plunge and sit next to not just an apparent foreigner, but an apparent foreigner in a bad mood.
Many times she’ll scan around for another empty seat in the next car and find one. If she can’t, she’ll stand. Occasionally I’ll get a real risk-taker or maybe just someone so tired they eventually decide they can’t stand standing any longer, and they’ll sit down. And promptly start to fidget.
It’s ok, though. As long as she doesn’t pull out the nail clippers, I’m ok. The instant I hear that click click, followed by the whizzing of nail shards past my head, I generally start the overt mocking.
*I say woman because not only are most of the passengers on the MRT women, but men seem to not really care who they sit next to or what they do when they’re sitting.
