The CNY incident

I am writing to express my feelings over an incident that happened over the CNY weekend. I think that this incident illustrates the attitudes and values of certain people in society.

On the first day of Lunar New Year, my family went to visit relatives in Malaysia. As expected, there was a huge jam at the causeway. We took more than an hour just to cross both customs. However, I also got to see the bad side of human nature.

As we approached the Malaysian checkpoint, the road was split into three lanes. We took right lane - what a mistake that was! We joined a queue behind a custom booth, waiting to have our passports stamped. The cars cleared rather quickly, until disaster struck. The car in front of us was right beside the booth counter. However, after five minutes, it still had not moved an inch, while cars from the lanes beside quickly got pass. Much to our dismay, the people in the car in front did not fill in their white cards before entering the customs. In fact, they they did not even have white cards. Someone was sent to get them. Upon getting their white cards, they did not even bother to hasten to fill them up. To our anger, they took their own sweet time. Some were even laughing and joking while they filled their cards! Their inconsiderate behavior delayed us by 15 mins, and also caused blood to boil in anger.

What inconsiderate and selfish people! At least, they should have known that they needed to submit white cards upon entering the Malaysian customs. They could have stopped their car at the white cards distribution booth along the wider parts of the causeway, instead of getting them from the customs officers! They could also have stopped their car somewhere else to fill up the cards! And above all that, none of them even seemed to bother about other people waiting in the queue. They selfishly held up the whole queue. Time was wasted. Fuel was wasted. And unnessary heat was generated, from the car engines, and from blood boiling with rage.

Not even a word of apology. Not even a guesture. Not even a sign of urgency. No guilt. No remorse. No stress. What selfish people! And just for information, the car was an 'S' plate, Singapore registered car.

What kind of attitude was that? Where are the moral values? What has happended to the sense of urgency? I feel that these road-hoggers should be given a penalty or some form of punishment. Everyone should do their part to contribute to a more gracious society. Or at least, have the initiative to give way.