I got my answer!!

I often battle within myself when travelling in PT - whether to give up my seat for someone else. Going through some issues of Actuary Australia, I can't believe the answer is in the April 2007 issue!

Gae Robinson from Finity provides the insight to this serious issue, I shall share some of her comments here.

1. Many times I've wrestled with the "is she pregnant or just a bit tubby?" dilemma. - Haha, this is so true. But listen,

2. I'm a firm believer that if you're offered a seat - no matter how offended you are at the implications - you should take it. The person giving it up has made a chivalrous gesture that shouldn't go unrewarded! - Isn't this so true? I do get some people who don't accept my offer. Should I feel embarrassed?

3. I do have a slightly bolshy (mean?) approach to old women who dye their hair to look younger - you know, the skin looks 75, the hair is solid brown. I think to myself "If you expect to convince me with that hair, lady, I'm convinced - you look 40 not 75 and you're not getting my seat!" - Isn't Gae funny? But I seldom cross with old ladies. However, you seldom see teenagers give up seat for the elderly, even though they look like they are gonna fall into the teenagers' lap! Furthermore, the trams especially would love for the passenger to shake their groove thang. Whenever a tram starts to move or stops, one can't help being shaken.

4. I also get annoyed when I'm standing and I see fit young people in all the seats wasting them - not working, not reading, just staring blankly into the distance. If I have a seat I make good use of it. - Moi is guilty. I hope, to Gae's standard, texting furiously and looking at one's mobile attentively would quality as working.

I remember when I was back home in June/July 2007, sitting at Dad's shop, I was shocked by a loud shout coming from the shop across the road. The shouting came intermittently, for about half an hour. Accordingly to my Dad's staff, that person couldn't control his shouting. I relived this experience on a tram not too long ago. A chubby girl (who wasn't preggy lol) kept letting out "fuck" the whole ride. I think people around her started giggling while trying to look away. I look at the person opposite me and it was the moment where you felt connected to the person as you were both thinking about the same thing! The girl tried to apologise to the people around her. However, "fuck" didn't stop coming through and gave incoming passengers a good old shake to the ears.