Forget durian explosions and hawker center dramas, the latest firestorm on Singapore’s social media scene revolves around… perch seats. Yes, those weird half-seats/half-leaning contraptions that sprouted up on the new North-South and East-West Line trains.
One disgruntled commuter took to Facebook yesterday to vent his frustration, questioning the logic behind replacing “two chairs” with this “useless installation”. His post, predictably, went viral, sparking a heated debate about the purpose and practicality of these perch seats.
“How many butts can occupy the space? Only two. Why bother? Why not 2 chairs instead? We have an ageing population, need more chairs for our oldies to sit, not stand,” he wrote.
“It goes to show how out of touch these people who made decisions.”
Some netizens saw the silver lining, arguing that the perch seats would allow for more standing passengers, squeezing in an extra eight per train.
Others chimed in, praising the perch seats for freeing up space for wheelchairs, strollers, and bicycles, preventing them from becoming aisle-clogging obstacles.
But not everyone was convinced. Worries swirled about inconsiderate folks hogging the entire perch seat instead of sharing the love. Can’t blame them, we’ve all seen our fair share of MRT seat shenanigans.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA), ever the voice of reason (or at least, official pronouncements), previously explained that the perch seats are part of a grand plan to modernize the MRT system. These new trains boast wider windows, snazzy LCD displays, and most importantly, more space for wheelchairs, bikes, and strollers. The perch seats, they say, are just a bonus feature to squeeze in a few extra riders without sacrificing precious standing room.
Only time will tell if the perch seats will be a commuter’s dream or a space-hogging nightmare. But one thing’s for sure: they’ve got everyone talking.
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