Language is an important tool.
This has not been set as a post on the FTRL Blog, since it does not discuss a transport topic directly. This is a post on my personal account describing my thoughts and feelings on the current state of the transport enthusiast community. You may not want to read this.
- yuuka
Depending on who you ask, the end of night buses was the end of the world, or a total nothingburger. I asked bus fans and they acted like the end times had come, and soon LTA policymakers would summon the apocalypse. That’s not really the case, as the numbers showed. The petition someone started appears to have been circulated chiefly amongst bus fans, and with slightly over 200 signatures, it appears that traction was not gained amongst actual users with the most to lose. Those users have coped.
If those statements were highly melodramatic and exaggerating, that’s because they are. And such thinking poses bad omens for what may come ahead. I can no longer remain silent on this matter; this has been in my drafts for too long, and too many things have happened in the meantime.
“We are under attack”
Maxson Goh, resident of the United Kingdom, illustrates the idea of there being a siege mentality across the Singaporean bus enthusiast community perfectly well.
Firstly, I’m glad that Maxson has moved to a place with far shittier public transportation and that he now understands the importance of a 15-minute bus network. I’m also glad that despite the backdrop of local fare increases, Maxson also now appreciates what it actually is compared to the fare systems of other countries (4 pounds for a single trip? Poor chap, though of course it might get much easier with the more liberal travel pass regime there?). Interestingly, Manchester is also moving to the kind of bus contracting model seen in London. The local government in Greater Manchester has even promised lower fares and government-set service standards as part of the revamp. Sounds familiar?
His second group of points, I feel, is more a reflection on Singaporean society in general and not just the authorities. This might explain why he left and his Singapore content nowadays is all so-called ‘collabs’ with other content creators — while I’m at it, why not give Heejin or Transport Cinematic some views too?
“Mind your own business,” someone from the LTA may look at the blog and tell me, “why are you interested in my job?” It’s a fair question, and I could answer in that while I do not think I can do a better job in the actual policymaking than them, I think I might be better at doing the explaining. But that’s just on me and not on the enthusiast community, who from any random person’s point of view may just be busybodies with nothing better to do; or worse, rowdy children with no regard for the norms and rules.
The lack of events or any sort of engagement with the enthusiasts is a very regrettable point which I myself share — albeit, bus locations are now available on Google Maps or busrouter.sg since it’s useful to normal people, even if there can be improvements made.
SG Busfan La Kopi
When bus fans think about how the system “oppresses” them, it is not unexpected that they begin to twist their minds in weird and wonderful ways (see comments here). Yes, the system is paranoid, but not without cause especially considering our geopolitical neighbours and the threats they may pose.
But such lashing out by figures within the community, to me, appears akin to antivaxxers and their seething with copium every time new restrictions for the unvaccinated were announced. Tragic, but true. Thinking of themselves as pariahs in the national community at large does create a siege mentality, whereby even PSAs are perceived to be malicious.
I must say that this is different from other social causes like same-sex rights. If you ask me, a same-sex relationship doesn’t harm anyone else nor can it be perceived as harming anyone else without serious mental gymnastics. I cannot say the same for bus enthusiasts, with death threats, vandalism, theft of items from vehicles, breaking and entering, and perhaps general rowdiness. It also doesn’t help that there seems to be a confrontational streak, even, as security personnel are viewed as oppressing them and denying their rights. Newcomers to the hobby are apparently told to brandish letters signed by the ministry or whatever powerful office holder that assures them of their right to photography.
Fighting back just makes one look more suspicious. This sets the stage for a battle with the security officers present, or even for bus fans to exhibit the very suspicious behavior we all should look out for to spot real troublemakers. Is it any surprise, no matter how regrettable, that security personnel have drawn a correlation between bus fans and trouble? We’d feel the same with motorcycle gangs and their illegally modified vehicles — see a bunch of Mat Rempits on motorbikes and call the police, saying they’re disturbing the peace with loud revving and whatnot.
To be very fair, there’s nothing wrong with having odd hobbies so long as one can be gracious about it. You have nothing to hide, just cool pictures of buses and/or trains. But the toxic atmosphere in the community means this isn’t happening. Will all this change? It could, but the issue is not even about guidelines or registration, it’s about social norms. But who sets the norms? As we see further down, who will follow them, too?
“If I can’t have it…”
I personally find it a bit notable that instead of the expensive PR agency they probably have on retainer for such efforts, the LTA’s videos to hype the TEL2 launch and the launch of the refurbished C751A train were actually produced by SGTrains. Yes, that SGTrains. The LTA used the opportunity to also plug the Friends of Land Transport programme as well, but this may be short lived too.
The experience of the NYC Transit Museum in hosting the last run of their R32 trains may be instructive. While this is America and we must moderate our expectations accordingly, what happened was there was a significant amount of vandalism and other mischief during the first of several planned “last run” events for the retiring R32 trains. Consequently, the Transit Museum was forced to issue a final ultimatum — one last chance would be given, and if that went sour, the Transit Museum would go to a ticketed model. Fortunately, it appears that that ultimatum was heeded and the New York enthusiast community sufficiently policed themselves during future events.
Tokyo Metro has encountered the same problems, and they have simply opted not to have such special commemorative events anymore. Their old trains simply go into the void, without even considering a ticketed model for retirements and other activities, after some bad experiences with densha otaku in Japan as well. They’re not the only ones — other railway companies are going the same way too.
And while Singaporean society may look down on bus and train spotters (maybe to Maxson, at least), at least things haven’t gotten as bad as in Japan where the Japanese internet was cheering on Enoden Bicycle Bro after he was unjustly attacked by train otakus for just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. That’s how much train otakus are looked down upon by members of the Japanese public.
Is this happening here? It might be. One unfortunate bus spotter was stopped by police just because some Karen thought he was a security threat. Fortunately there was a happy ending and the police were able to guess that Syukri meant no harm, but this didn’t need to happen. Thankfully, there also appears to be an understanding side of Singaporean society.
This kind of attitude is a natural repellant for corporate communications folks that may have good intentions to run events for the enthusiast community. Even today, there may be some who find fault with LTA’s choice of SGTrains to document the festivities along with the influencers running the virtual open house, or SMRT’s choice of who to work with in projects like the Woodlands ITH Heritage Gallery. You know who you are.
It might say something that even I’ve incurred the ire of some by calling on the blog for a re-examination from first principles on how we should use multiple transit modes to play to each other’s strengths and create network effects. And that’s why I felt it necessary to write this. Why is it that the very people who ought to have the best interests of the system at heart have become the very people advocating against progress just to stick it to The Man? It’s not 1982 anymore.
Just because someone don’t like it doesn’t mean it’s bad, and by framing everything in negative terms, one then unconsciously or deliberately engages in fearmongering. This I cannot entirely fault since, well, they do stand to lose something that they love. However, it creates a severe breakdown in relations between the grassroots and the powers that be. I believe in learning, but you can lead a horse to water; you can’t make it drink.
But perhaps there may be hope. Given the above tales of overzealous security personnel, perhaps Transcom should take over full policing of public transport locations instead of privately-contracted guards from security agencies. I’m sure the Airport Police can tell the difference between a terror suspect and a planespotter; Transcom can be expected to do the same. Still, this isn’t even a problem in Singapore alone. Officially it is illegal to take photos of the PATH system between New York and New Jersey; and also in New York, there’s this:
Help should be given to those who ask for it
But yet, in my experience with the community they already know, as a collective, who ought to be avoided and shunned. That said, not everyone is knowingly “evil” or “disruptive”. Such personalities may be a minority of a minority. The rest may simply not know better. I’d even go as far as to say that they may not even be equipped with the mental faculties to know better.
There is a well-documented link between trainspotting and the autism spectrum. But it’s a spectrum, for a reason — most are eventually able to function in society and respect its laws and norms. As for those so far down the spectrum that they are unable to? Frankly speaking, I don’t know anymore. With clear expectations and leadership, though, this may not be so much of an issue — but someone has to provide that leadership, and it has to be followed. SGTrains may play such a role for trains, but with the Friends of Land Transport, it appears that the authorities may now have to be the ones to do it.
It would be unfortunate if, at the end of the day, the LTA was forced to gut the FOLT programme — which has been running for at least several years (as far as I know) and had far more close up activities — because people can’t follow rules. But the same happened to the Friends of SMRT after all, so I‘m not going to be too optimistic, and I’d give the same counsel to A&S Transit and their new officially-run fan club.
I do not think the LTA or any future management of any transport museum we may open has the bandwidth to handle these issues. Nor should they be expected to. Like the NYTM, such an organization, if created, should be dedicating itself to documenting and celebrating the long history of Singapore as a transport hub, not only internationally but also locally, as has been done at the Bukit Timah Railway Station. Its primary goal should not be to babysit; even if it can and likely should hire former special-needs teachers to handle those whom need help.
In certain cases, one could even argue that such help cannot solely be provided by counsellors or by special needs professionals — it may have to come from the criminal justice system, in order to help them learn what is right and what is wrong. But ultimately, is it a greater reflection on society at large? That we are unable, or unwilling, to give help to those whom need it? Or to give and take and be more gracious to one another?
While it’s a bit of a shame that we will never get to visit and record depot tours unlike what RapidKL does, in the Klang Valley they appear more willing to get together and sing kumbaya and aren’t brave enough for politics. There is mutual respect for each other up there. In comparison, what is happening here to make things worse, and what can we all do to make things better?
As a spectator, I find that this is why we can’t have nice things, for much like the White Witch, there are people far too willing to speak the Deplorable Word. What’s the point of cherishing our history if the people who do so find themselves written off by society? What can they do to improve their public image?
