I was taking Bus Number 53 home from Bishan this afternoon but the bus was delayed for 15 minutes at the Interchange. The reason?
This girl had brought her Maltese up the bus. It was a cute little furry ball of fur, well behaved and in a basket. However, for some reason, the bus driver was quite insistent that the dog got off the bus. The girl was with her father, a burly but well dressed individual. The driver pulled up to the station office, where 2 'customer service' personnel boarded the bus and proceeded to kindly ask the dog-owners to get off the bus, stating that it was a 'policy' that no pets were allowed.
This sparked off a heated argument, with neither side giving way. The details will bore you, but it got me thinking...
In Europe, guide-dogs and toy dogs in baskets are allowed in buses and trains. As long as they are on leash and kept in check. Perhaps Singapore has some way to go before we are gracious and modern enough to allow pets. I do understand the driver's concerns, allegies, possible negligence suits if the dog bit someone... but come on, it was a maltese, and it was in a basket.
It also got me thinking about whether they should have taken the discussion off the bus so that the other passengers could get on with their lives. What do you think?
This girl had brought her Maltese up the bus. It was a cute little furry ball of fur, well behaved and in a basket. However, for some reason, the bus driver was quite insistent that the dog got off the bus. The girl was with her father, a burly but well dressed individual. The driver pulled up to the station office, where 2 'customer service' personnel boarded the bus and proceeded to kindly ask the dog-owners to get off the bus, stating that it was a 'policy' that no pets were allowed.
This sparked off a heated argument, with neither side giving way. The details will bore you, but it got me thinking...
In Europe, guide-dogs and toy dogs in baskets are allowed in buses and trains. As long as they are on leash and kept in check. Perhaps Singapore has some way to go before we are gracious and modern enough to allow pets. I do understand the driver's concerns, allegies, possible negligence suits if the dog bit someone... but come on, it was a maltese, and it was in a basket.
It also got me thinking about whether they should have taken the discussion off the bus so that the other passengers could get on with their lives. What do you think?
2 comments:
Aiyo so toy dog, so cute
Jane, aiyah, Muslim or not, its all about tolerance isn't it? The dog was in a basket, and there was little chance of it jumping out and rubbing its nose into some Makcik's arm.
Singapore is generally quite tolerant. My uncle had this experience in Johor customs.
He rides a bike to Johor, and when you ride, you need both arms on the handle bars. So he clamped his passport in his mouth. The Customs officer refused to touch his passport, saying that my uncle's mouth eats pork, and hence was unclean. Imagine that!
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