The Taipei City Government went too far on Sunday when the Department of Education announced that it would launch a drive this week to teach students who occupy priority seating on the capital's MRT system to give up their seats to pregnant women, the elderly and disabled travelers.
The move came in response to complaints from disabled city residents, who are rightly upset that students often stubbornly stay planted in those seats rather than yield them to the needy -- sometimes by pretending to be asleep.
This is undoubtedly a problem on the subway system, but using government and school resources to deal with it will prove ineffective. In a city with much more urgent -- indeed, life-endangering -- issues such as wreckless driving and high pollution levels, the government should think twice about tossing resources out the window.
A school campaign will not solve the problem because Taipei's youth already know what is expected of them. There are more than enough signs and recorded announcements on the MRT system asking people not to occupy the seats reserved for people who really need them.
The problem on the MRT system may highlight poor parenting or a general shift of values in society or could be a by-product of big-city life. There is no doubt that today's youth do not respect the elderly and infirm to the same extent that previous generations have.
Either way, a few minutes of pounding the message into kids' heads at school won't make a difference, because the MRT problem is only a symptom of something bigger.
Instilling children with good manners is the preserve of parents and is something that should be done at an early age. Along with basic hygiene and other life skills, these are the things that people should be taught when young and reinforced at kindergarten. In big cities, manners tend to get lost and replaced with selfishness. Parents would therefore do well to put more effort into teaching the value of caring for people around us, even strangers.
Nevertheless, there is an effective remedy Taipei's concerned citizens can turn to rather than letting the elderly suffer in silence on the crowded MRT. When faced with a teenager who is reluctant to move, courteous passengers should feel free to help a disabled, pregnant or elderly passenger ask the offending person to move. If they have their eyes closed, tap them on the shoulder before asking. If there's one thing life in the big city hasn't changed, it's the power of shame. An offending person who is embarrassed in this situation is likely to avoid a repeat.
Aside from the ineffectiveness of the new education campaign, however, there is another issue at hand. Taipei's kids are an easy target for an overbearing municipal authority and schoolchildren are already bombarded with lessons from dawn to dusk, with holiday and weekend visits to cram schools piled on top. And just in case they might find the time to be what they are -- children -- Taipei's new 1984-esque swipe card system in schools will make sure parents find out and take appropriate measures.
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