Recently have been seeing this "handicapped ready" sign at a lot of our Singapore buses. So, last week, I decided to give this new facility a try. I brought my baby girl in a stroller for a medical appointment at a clinic which is 2 bus-stop away. After visiting the clinic, we took a bus home. As the bus we took indicated that it's handicapped ready, I decided that instead of keeping the stroller and carrying my girl, I will just push the stroller up the bus. Here's my experience with it:
As I tried pushing my stroller up the bus, I realised that the gap between the bus and the pavement was too wide, so I have to carry the stroller up the bus together with my baby girl. According to the bus guide, I think the bus driver is suppose to come down and help me with it, but I waited for a while and the bus driver just look at me and smile and show no indication that he is getting up. Well, managed to get myself through one hurdle. Then I tried pushing the stroller to the designated handicapped lot and realised that a group of Filipino maids was standing there talking and ignoring me. So I have no choice but to parked my stroller at the middle of the bus. Luckily, the journey is only 2 bus-stops away and the bus was not very crowded, otherwise, I will have a hard time keeping the stroller steady and making space for people to walk pass me so that they can get to their seats. Finally, I reached my destination and again, the gap between the bus and the pavement was too wide again for me to push the stroller down, so I have to carry the whole stroller again.
Here's my verdict on the whole experience. Basically Singapore is building more and more facilities to accomodate people who are less abled but our people is not ready to support them. Just like this trip, I think the bus driver is not probably trained or they have not get the right attitude yet to help the less abled people. I recalled when I last visited Australia, we took a bus and the bus driver was ever so ready to get out of their seat and help who ever in need, an old lady carrying lots of baggages, a man with a stroller etc. Secondly, our citizens or rather maybe our foreign friends (in my case the Filipino maids), I think Singaporean are generally well educated about the need to give up our seats for the elderly, to help out our fellow citizens in need but I don't think our government has yet to reach out in educating our foreign friends like the maids, construction workers etc about these basic courtesy.
Well, I think we have yet a long way to go in being a nation that is really handicapped friendly or elderly friendly.
Monday, April 12, 2010
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