Verbalism Personified

Three Strikes and you're Ouch!

MRT rides can be as entertaining as the next reality television show.

On my way to the Esplanade earlier this evening, a young family boarded my train from one of the above-ground stations. A father and mother in their early thirties with their three year-old daughter. Looking like everyone else, they moved into the middle of the aisle as all the seats were taken. Nobody batted an eye-lid and nobody cared.

The daughter was certainly hyperactive and she proceeded to entertain herself with the poles used by commuters. In moves that would make any pole-dancer proud, our young girl would swing in circles as she held on firmly with her left hand. As she demonstrated her firm grip on the situation, our train proceeded to speed up as it entered the underground tunnel.

Both father and mother were deeply engrossed in their conversation about something going on "at your mother's house". Since their daughter wasn't yelling, they thought nothing of it. What they didn't count on was the stretch of tunnel we were moving into. With two sharp bends, it can be jolting for commuters who are not secured on foot. So when the first one arrived, our little girl was jolted out of her circumference and crashed her forehead into her unsuspecting father's groin.

As he reeled in pain and grimaced in agony, the mother kneeled down to tend to her incapacitated husband. Putting herself at face level with her daughter, the young girl was amazingly ignored in the scramble. Left to continue swinging around the pole, any sense in stopping our budding pole-swinger was clearly too late when the second jolt arrived.

You could see the stunned look in the woman's eyes just after our young girl smashed her forehead into the side of her mother's cheek. The force of the blow was enough to drop her on the floor speechless. This time, bone on bone was too much and our young girl was floored as well. Now the whole family was clearly in pain and agony.

For our bemused commuters, the whole incident was over in seconds. But for our hapless family, the moment lasted an eternity. Going from nobodies moments earlier, they became the focus of attention after three strikes.

Fortunately, some quick thinking commuters came forward to tend to the family. Helping them to their feet and pulling them aside, they were escorted off the train at the next station. You can be sure that their daughter won't be doing any more pole related activities for a while.

posted by Teutoburg @ 11:57 PM