Living in Singapore, we know it's not always easy for old people. You only need to look at the number of old people ekeing out a tough existence working in Mac's, or selling Singapore Sweep tickets, or as toilet cleaners. You respect them for being able to contribute to society even at their advanced age, but at the same time you can't help but think that they would like to be enjoying their old age in a different way. Is this what progress really is? The squeezing of our people for every last drop of their blood, sweat, and tears?
They say old soldiers never die, they only fade away. Sadly, not every old person fades away gracefully. In the papers recently, there was a report on senior citizens who share one-room flats. This report was filed due to an incident where two such roommates got into an argument which led to a fight, which led to one of them being killed by the other. There were a few other articles accompanying this report, mostly talking about the phenomenon of flat sharing. Apparently some old people decide that it would be good to share a flat, since they would not be able to get comparable accomodation elsewhere. So they get a friend of similar age, then sign up for a flat. Things go well till one of them passes away. Then shock and horror, a replacement roommate is assigned from a waiting list! A replacement who brings friction and disquiet to the partnership. Arguments happen, then 'cold wars' begin, leading to things like a dividing line being put up to split the flat in half. There was a picture of two flatmates sitting at a table which was the DMZ in the flat, belonging equally to both and serving as a meeting point. Sometimes, the flatmates are even randomly assigned from the start!
Anyway, various social workers gave their two cents worth on the issue. One said, "Old people are very set in their ways. If you place two of them together in a small space, there are sure to be problems." Set in their ways.
Then another newspaper report caught my eye. This time, it was about an incident where a taxi bumped into the back of another car. The driver of the car, a man in his 30s, got out and tried to get the taxi driver's particulars as per the normal accident procedure. The taxi driver refuses to cooperate and tried to drive off. However, as the other driver was standing in front of the taxi, the taxi knocked him down. He banged his head on the ground and went into a coma while the taxi driver made a getaway. He was arrested later when the police received information from witnesses. It turned out that the taxi driver is 68 years old. When I found out his age, I was shocked. Why was such an old man driving a taxi? Now, I don't mean to stereotype taxi drivers, but if you drive you may have noticed that many taxis are driven quite recklessly without regard for other road users. Perhaps in this case, the taxi driver drove away out of fear because if his bumping of the other car had been reported, he might have been suspended from duty. In any case, you wouldn't expect him to have taken the course of action that he did. Set in their ways.
Anyway, today I went to the Botanic Gardens with mum and our family friend. Turning into the Botanic Gardens carpark entrance, I noticed a stationary car, a Mercedes no less, sitting in the lane leading to the carpark. I couldn't tell if there was a driver in the car, and I wasn't sure I could squeeze past, so I tapped the horn gently. There was no response, so I had to reverse, and take a detour via the drop-off point. As I completed my detour, I noticed that there was indeed a driver in the car, an old looking man. I waved my hand at him in a "what are you doing" motion. Next thing I knew, he sounded his horn at me. I paid him no heed, and drove into the carpark. Looking in my rear-view mirror, I see him pick up someone, presumably his wife.
In the carpark, I find a lot and am about to reverse. Suddenly, I see a Mercedes in the rear-view mirror. It comes up really close, preventing me from reversing. I realise it is the driver who had been blocking the lane. He's really steamed up and he asks me why I sounded my horn at him. I was shocked at his audacity. You see, the lane he was blocking was this lane:
It was a lane with yellow zigzag lines! For those of you who are not familiar with the highway code, you can pick people up and stop, but you cannot remain stationary or park, along roads with such markings. This Mercedes had been stopped by the side of the lane, and it wasn't for a while that the pickup was made. Anyway, I pointed this out to the old man, but he said that I didn't know how to drive, since other cars had managed to squeeze past him. I wasn't about to explain to him that I had to desire to try to squeeze past. I mean, if I had done that and I had brushed his car, who would have admitted liability?
Anyway, by now I had gotten out of the car. He had too and for a moment he looked as if he wanted a fight. I wasn't going to let that happen so I got back in my car. Before I did, I noticed a crucifix hanging from the other driver's rearview mirror and his wife looking on nervously. Great, a cranky old Catholic Mercedes driver. The thought of reversing into his car flashed through my head but sanity prevailed. Set in their ways.
This old man really got my goat. Not only was he persisting to say that he was right, he was doing it even though he had blatantly ignored the lane markings. That really peeves me, the flagrant disregard for rules and regulations. It's like when smokers light up next to a "No smoking sign". Anyway, thank God this isn't America, where guns are readily available. Thank God also that my baseball bat style steering wheel lock was safely inside the boot.
Why did that old man do what he did? Was it because he's old and thinks he has earned the right to do what he wants? Did it have anything to do with his driving a Mercedes? Whatever. He's a mean old man and if I ever see him doing it again, I'll just take video evidence of him and send it to STOMP. Bah.
I'm not feeling angry as I type this post, but beware of the mean old people in our midst. Set in their ways.
2 comments:
Sadly. I've always wondered what makes old people spit and hack and cough and put up their legs all over the place.
Maybe it's because they think they're old and image doesn't matter anymore, so it's okay for them to do whatever they want.
I saw a middle-aged taxi driver gesticulate a vulgar sign (not the middle finger, but still vulgar) at another taxi driver whom he didn't see turn out of Beauty World. This will probably follow him into the old age.
Then again, most men turn into Hulks when they're behind the wheel. I also don't know why. Maybe it's the same reason with regards to women and shopping... Haha.
That's what "set in their ways" means. Of course, it's not all their fault since back when they were younger, it was probably acceptable to spit, hack, cough and stick their legs anywhere.
To some extent, you could say that since the government has sort of forgotten them, they prefer to live by their own rules.
Oh, about men turning into the Hulk when they get behind a wheel, I must confess that I can get very upset with drivers who ignore road rules or drive recklessly. And I suppose that the car is the equivalent of the horse of the medieval age. For men of those times, riding a horse was a rite of passage. I suppose it's the same for men with cars.
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