You guys know there are pedestrian crossings situated in Singapore where it is not in a cross junction? Well these traffic lights will only change if somebody presses the big buton by the side. When someone presses the button, a red light beside the button will be lit, indicating that someone has pressed the button. Over at my neighbourhood here, they have recently switched the zebra crossing to this kind of pedestrian crossing, even though the distance across is less than 10 metres. I guess this is due to safety reasons as many cars like to park by the side of the road for a short period of time, making it difficult for pedestrians to see oncoming traffic and for motorists to see pedestrians crossing the road.

 

For many times, I have seen people standing at both ends of the pedestrian crossing, without anyone pressing the button and waiting for either the light to change by itself or when there are no cars and then jaywalk (Feels weird to see people jaywalk at a pedestrian crossing). Anyway, can someone let them know that they have to press the button for the traffic lights to change? Either that or Singaporeans are plain lazy to just walk two steps away from the mouth of the pedestrian crossing. Everyone has a mentality that someone will do it. Ends up the person is usually me. Kind of weird isn't it? Knowing that such a small chore yet everyone does not do it. Does everyone feel that they are too important to do such small things?

 

I really wonder what is going on in the minds of people nowadays. Especially so when I dread the thought of squeezing into the stupid train in the morning with nobody giving way or moving in, or lying on the poles or reading newspapers spread wide open, restricting the amount of space people has to stand or not giving up seats to the elderly or needy.

 

Everyone has to do something for a change to effect. If everything maintains its status quo, how an we ever improve? Even a small change for improvement requires effort of some sort instead of just waiting for it to happen. So friends, next time you reach a pedestrian crossing, do that extra effort to press it (if someone else has not done it yet) and make that change which will benefit everyone.