Bad Habits and Social Grace

Singaporeans have been urged to pick up on their social graces in preparation for the Youth Olympic Games in 2010. The government has been playing many roles in educating the people to correct their many habits for the past decades. In the past, some of these education that had been effective were: getting Singaporeans not to litter (now the country is a safe and cleaner place), flush toilets, getting Singaporean to stop smoking in air conditioned places, picking up after the dog in parks, stop chewing gum, stop spitting (signs were everywhere in the 70s) and more. Some of these measures of course were strengthen with lots of fines but that did help to stop and eventually the generation that came after that learnt not to do them.

However some of the things that were taking a little long were the train station escalators, where one has to stand on the left side and keep the right lane free for rushing commuters. This is still hardly practised. The other bad habit that Singaporeans are guilty of, is leaving their empty food trays behind. In fast foods, they are not even clearing up their trays.. Perhaps it stems from Singaporeans for having maids wait on them since young? Perhaps it is time to fine them for that too?