stinky behaviour

I was looking through political weblogs for my project and chanced upon a post that so incensed me, I felt it was my civic duty to share with everyone around me.

Some of you may have come across this news about 2 Caucasians (Brits, if I’m not wrong) who took a trishaw ride from an old man and then evaded payment upon reaching their destination.

If you have not, here is the link to a blog that also provides a video the 2 Caucasians had the gall to film. In fact, whether you have read the news, please check out the website for the video and reader comments.

http://theonlinecitizen.com/2007/11/01/britons-teasing-elderly-singaporean-trishaw-rider/#comment-16908

One guy actually had the heart to condone the behaviour of the 2 men, concurring that $15 was an unreasonable price to pay for a trishaw ride and basically speaking in defense of the 2 perpetrators. Nothing can justify what they did. Their actions were not only dishonest but a trespass on the rights and dignity of another human being. I do not deny that other forms of transportation could have gotten them to their destination without amounting to $15 but they were not forced to take a trishaw. They chose to take a trishaw out of their own free will and had also agreed to the price before the old man took them on board. And may I also add that this is a tourist attraction so they are paying for the gimmick as well.

What really made me blow my top was their insolence in making fun of and laughing at the old trishaw rider, who was already panting in exhaustion from his exertion on the wheels. Have they no heart? I am thoroughly disappointed in the fact that there are people out there who cannot even spare compassion for the elderly.

The comment, I quote, “as a Singaporean, my attention on this piece of news is, why does a trishaw ride cost S$15?”, posted by the previously mentioned reader left me wondering if he has really seen the crux of the matter. Does he have the maturity and sense to recognize that it is the behaviour of the men he should be concerned with?