SINGAPORE: A commuter recently experienced being trapped between two overpowering odours inside the train that made his journey a very unforgettable and unwanted sensory experience.
On Facebook, a netizen openly shared that he was sitting next to a passenger who was carrying food with an insanely strong smell that was spreading throughout the carriage. With this, the other passenger sitting opposite to him tried to cover the pungent smell by putting oil with a strong smell all over her head and nose.
“One side: strong food smell. Other side: strong medicated oil. Me: trapped right in the middle.. Congratulations! You’ve successfully turned the whole train into a free smell exhibition that nobody asked for,” the netizen declared.
The post garnered several thoughts and opinions from other netizens and has sparked an interesting discussion in the comments section. One comment suggested that the netizen should have just moved to another carriage or taken the next train instead of complaining.
“Can’t be helped, that’s public transport. If you can’t stand it, consider owning your own car,” a netizen remarked.
Another netizen suggested that the netizen should better bring his own mini oxygen tank so that when events like this happen, he can enjoy having his own air to breathe.
“Don’t take public transport if you don’t want to smell those strong odours,” one more comment claimed.
Moreover, some people stated that the authorities should not allow passengers to bring food inside public transportation. One stated: “They [authorities] should have banned bringing food in public transport because of the smell… Very annoying all the time.”
“[Food smell] Still better than those body odours which give migraines and morning sickness,” a comment concluded.
At the end of the day, this post not only highlights one smelly meal or medicated oil. It is more about how people share spaces while riding public transportation. Whatever people may think, it is important to remain thoughtful of other people’s commuting journey, and a little awareness of what we bring inside these public transportations can go a long way and make a better riding experience for all.
