Some old folks are being disrespectful towards us students |
|---|
 By KawaiiCupcake395 As a Secondary 4 student, I find the way some old folks treat students to be highly disrespectful, condescending, and sometimes verging on outright bullying. One recent afternoon, I was taking the bus home after school - on this particular occasion it was packed with students. An elderly man (presumably in his 60s) wanted to exit from the front. It appeared he had difficulty doing so, however instead of politely asking people to move aside, he pointed at the students (including myself) and used an extremely authoritative voice no different from commanding someone, ordering us to make way. He bellowed: "There's still so much space around, move to the back!" Frightened, my friends and I complied. As we were doing so, he snarled at a student: "Oi you! That's right I am talking to you school girl! Move in some more!" One of the students then shot back at him: "Can you please not act so demandingly!?" The man attempted to close in on this particular individual as if to intimidate her, then took out his wallet and showed her something (wasn't exactly sure what it was but I reckon he wanted to demonstrate that he's someone influential?). Before finally getting off the bus, he turned to one of my friends and fiercely instructed: "Get out of the way! Don't block my exit!", adding: "All of you seriously don't know how to listen." Just to add, he also mumbled something to the bus driver along the lines "这些学生...." (I couldn't make out what he said). Once he alighted, he stood at the bus stop scribbling something on his notebook before issuing us a final death stare through the windows. Maybe this man had a bad day, but the tone of his words and body language used were uncalled for. I was confused as to why he immediately scolded and commanded us, instead of first asking politely. The whole bus was crowded and we were not intentionally trying to block the exits. Students pay bus fares too - albeit at concessionary rates; we are very much entitled to ride on the bus like adults. I believe because we were students, and due to his superiority complex, he found it easier to scare and bully us, knowing we wouldn't dare argue with him and that no repercussions would arise as far as he was concerned. If the man had encountered grown adults or perhaps teenagers wearing plain clothes, I reckon he would not have acted so nastily. Apart from this episode, I have experienced a spate of minor incidents involving the older generation who worked in retail and service related jobs being rude towards students. Just because we are young does not mean that you can slap us around. |
|
YOU MAY WISH TO READ: What’s wrong with the kids? Or why the ‘strawberry generation’ needs a swift kick in the butt Singapore's youth crying out for change |
