The Culture of Riding in Malaysian LRTs

I just took the LRT to work the other day. Usually, I drive, but I dropped off my car at the workshop to get the radiator fixed. Cost me RM900 (the repair, not the LRT ride), and I don’t want to talk about it. There goes my lunches for the next two months.

Anyway, I haven’t taken the train for almost a year now. I was mildly shocked to see how drab and poorly maintained was the station in PJ and the train itself, too. My friend PN says the air-conditioning breaks down frequently, resulting in near-sauna conditions.

But I’m not going to diss the LRT. Not in this post anyway. I used to take LRT and the MRT quite frequently, and am used to observing people on them. People don’t like other people staring at them, so you have to do something to pass the time in the train. Most of the time, they are either doing one of these things:

Staring out into the scenery (This doesn’t apply for the underground stretches of the line. It’s like, just black walls and darkness there, you know… Just like the ethereal void of our souls…)

This should only be done while sitting: Sleeping. And accidentally leaning into the person next to you, especially if it’s a pretty girl. Do not attempt to sleep while standing. Unless you plan on “creating a scene”.

Reading. Also preferably done while seated. Reading while standing is possible, but there is a certain skill to holding a 400-page Neil Gaiman novel in one hand (plus briefcase) without damaging the precious book’s spine. Also, be sure to be seen reading something respectable and cool. (I said ‘be seen reading’, meaning you don’t necessary to be actually reading to impress that aforesaid pretty girl next to you). Try some impressive sounding novel or scientific journal. Newspaper is also fine, but don’t let people see you reading “50 Petua Rahsia Keghairahan Seks Wanita” in the train.

Talking loudly. Especially if you’re travelling with a friend. If you’re talking loudly when there is no one with you, you’ll strangely find everyone giving you a lot of space around you. Even in a packed peak hour train.

Sending text messages on your phone. Especially if you have a freaking cool phone. Uncool if you’re still having a Nokia 3110.

Looking down at your shoes / at the floor. A surprising high number of people do this. It’s as if they’re expecting the Liquid Man from Terminator 2 to suddenly appear from the floor.

Listening to iPod / Walkman / iRiver / Discman. Just don’t bring your 12-battery boom box.

And stop trying to read your neighbour’s newspaper over his shoulder. Not even when he is reading “50 Petua Rahsia Keghairahan Seks Wanita”.

[tags]iPod, LRT, MRT, Neil Gaiman[/tags]