As gas prices reach new heights globally, Americans, as well as the rest of the world, have taken to public transit more than ever in hopes to save a few extra dollars. Unfortunately not all public transit is created equal and “public” really does mean the public — inviting some of your sketchiest transit horror stories, like my own encounter with a man on a NYC subway train doing the five-knuckle shuffle under his coat. Singapore, however, is doubling down on laws it already put into place to tamper this sort of gross behavior and is now issuing fines to annoying riders, reports CNN.
Signs providing guidance to Singapore’s public transit riders on appropriate behavior began popping up on buses in December 2024. There, riders were advised to keep noise levels down, use only one seat, and avoid sitting on the floor, according to The Independent. The city-state’s parliament then passed an amendment in October of last year giving public authorities the ability to handle the problematic behaviors themselves. Drivers are only able to remove individuals from the bus or involve proper authorities like the police. Authorized staff of one of the multiple transit operators are able to issue “administrative notifications to passengers suspect of committing an offense.” The Land Transport Authority is able to take on a formal investigation into the disruptive behavior from there.
Issued notifications can result in the latest fines established for Singapore’s disruptive behaviors on public transit property, such as placing feet (gross or nice) on a seat, sharing a call, music, or one’s Tik Tok scrolling audio in loud volumes, leaving trash behind, or eating and drinking. Those alone could cost offending riders about 500 SGD or $390. Dirtying any property of the transit authority, or causing danger to fellow riders could cost as much as 5,000 SGD, or $3,900. All of these new fees and blanket rules align with pre-existing guidelines on Singapore’s subway system.
Imagine a future without loud obnoxious phone calls and music everywhere you go
Transit in Asian countries well-known for its cleanliness and efficiency. It’s common to see bans for drinking and eating, as well as playing music on public transit properties. Those common spaces tend to be quiet with riders actually respecting other riders (and lack questionably sticky floors). The courtesy hasn’t caught on everywhere though, but a few metropolitan areas are trying. For instance Beijing, Kraków, and Toronto have all banned playing loud audio without headphones on public transit. In France, a man was fined $200 for taking a loud phone call on speaker and refusing to hang up while at Nantes Station.
London attempted something similar to get transit users to use headphones on the Tube last year, through an etiquette campaign. According to the New York Times, the “sodcasting” “headphone dodgers” as the Brits have referred to them, who refused to stop engaging with the loud behavior or were caught faced a fine of £1,000, or $1,350, and were asked to leave the train.
As to how well the fines will further tamper down annoying and somewhat disgusting public transit behaviors has yet to be seen. But imagine the possibilities. There may be a small boon of funding to be earned in establishing similar practices here in the U.S., with the little bits of public transit we have smattered about the country. And what if this kind of fine was implemented not just on subways and buses, but planes, trains, and taxi services? The Transportation Secretary just asked the government to give his airport AI project an additional $30 billion, and not that the world needs more things running on AI, but if the government is strapped for cash, this could be an easy way to raise some funds. The gift to the rest of common man is suffering a lot less nasty feet by our faces and hearing less about your friends’ or family’s latest self-induced problems.
