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Coffeeshop Chit Chat - Indian FT comprain S'porean rude on road</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right>
Subscribe </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgF noWrap align=right width="1%">From: </TD><TD class=msgFname noWrap width="68%">kojakbt22 <NOBR>
</NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate noWrap align=right width="30%">Jan-11 6:47 pm </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT noWrap align=right width="1%" height=20>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname noWrap width="68%">ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 19) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft width="1%" rowSpan=4> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>5145.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Jan 12, 2009
KINDNESS MOVEMENT
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- headline one : start --></TD></TR><TR><TD>Angels become devils behind the wheel
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- headline one : end --></TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- show image if available --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->I REFER to Mr Koh Poh Tiong's letter on Thursday on 'heartware' ('New Year advertisement only a prelude').
As a relative newcomer to Singapore, I have to say that, in my experience, Singaporeans are polite and gracious most of the time. Even on the road, there is at least one driver whose consideration delights me for every one who disappoints.
But with some of us, a steely resolve seems to set in once behind the wheel, not to let anything or anyone get in the way of making the fastest possible trip to the office or supermarket. I am dismayed to see that when I try to cross the road near my home with my little daughters, drivers who are quite a distance away actually speed up, forcing us to jump back hurriedly. The moment I turn on my indicator to switch lanes, the driver who was dawdling leisurely behind me accelerates to cut me off. If I slow down to let a car pass, I am honked at.
So I wonder, what makes perfectly decent people behave so uncharacteristically behind the wheel? It must be fear that others may take advantage of our decency, that others will get ahead and we will be left behind, and if we are left behind we are losers.
There are no awards for kindness on the road and it won't get us a pay rise, but isn't it worth something that someone, even if for a moment, thinks kindly of us?
Everyone we give way to should remind us we have given a little kindness, and we should not care if it does not come back to us. Everyone we don't give way to should remind us we could have been kind, but chose to be boorish. And every grateful smile we receive is worth so much more than reaching our destination a few seconds earlier.
Winning does not have to be just about getting ahead; it could be about knowing you have chosen to be a better human being today.
Mridula Ajay (Mrs)
[email protected]
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
KINDNESS MOVEMENT
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- headline one : start --></TD></TR><TR><TD>Angels become devils behind the wheel
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- headline one : end --></TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- show image if available --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->I REFER to Mr Koh Poh Tiong's letter on Thursday on 'heartware' ('New Year advertisement only a prelude').
As a relative newcomer to Singapore, I have to say that, in my experience, Singaporeans are polite and gracious most of the time. Even on the road, there is at least one driver whose consideration delights me for every one who disappoints.
But with some of us, a steely resolve seems to set in once behind the wheel, not to let anything or anyone get in the way of making the fastest possible trip to the office or supermarket. I am dismayed to see that when I try to cross the road near my home with my little daughters, drivers who are quite a distance away actually speed up, forcing us to jump back hurriedly. The moment I turn on my indicator to switch lanes, the driver who was dawdling leisurely behind me accelerates to cut me off. If I slow down to let a car pass, I am honked at.
So I wonder, what makes perfectly decent people behave so uncharacteristically behind the wheel? It must be fear that others may take advantage of our decency, that others will get ahead and we will be left behind, and if we are left behind we are losers.
There are no awards for kindness on the road and it won't get us a pay rise, but isn't it worth something that someone, even if for a moment, thinks kindly of us?
Everyone we give way to should remind us we have given a little kindness, and we should not care if it does not come back to us. Everyone we don't give way to should remind us we could have been kind, but chose to be boorish. And every grateful smile we receive is worth so much more than reaching our destination a few seconds earlier.
Winning does not have to be just about getting ahead; it could be about knowing you have chosen to be a better human being today.
Mridula Ajay (Mrs)
[email protected]
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