Again today I got questioned about taking the freaking LRT to work. Is it really an expectation where “if you earn enough, you should drive to work. Public transport is meant for the lower-middle class and below.”? Have these people been to Singapore, Japan, the UK and EU countries? In case you haven’t figured it out, people take public transport for convenience and cost-efficiency, not as a measurement of status. But if taking public transport will not be as convenient or cost-efficient to you compared to driving to work, then drive lah hello. I’m not very good at maths, but when I drove to work: Petrol = RM90 a week = RM360 per month Toll = RM8 per day = RM160 a month Parking = RM12 per day = RM240 a month Total: RM760 per month Since I took the LRT: Petrol = RM90 for 2 weeks = RM180 per month LRT ticket = RM4.80 per day = RM96 per month Parking = FOC (‘selit’ in housing area near station) Total: RM276 per month Total savings = RM484 per month. One year tak ke RM5,808 savings. Almost enam ribu beb. This judge-by-status mentality is not only amongst the middle-upper crust of society, but also amongst the lower-class as well, where I’ve heard comments like “mamat ni pakai smart-smart, mesti keje pangkat tinggi, kalau ada duit, naik lah kereta, menyemak je ambik train”, suggesting that people like me are taking up precious space meant for only those who cannot afford to own cars. I don’t know if this is a Malaysian mentality, but it’s been happening for too long where people are too status-conscious and judgmental for their own good. Were judged by what we wear, what we drive, where we eat, even how we style our freaking hair. Atas pendek, belakang panjang = rempit, kampung. Oren, pacak-pacak, fringe cover separuh muka = ah beng. Gel kilat keras, side parting = nerd. The list goes on. And sad to say too, many times I’ve heard the term “duit takde, takpe, gaya mesti ada”. These are people who spend ¾ of their income paying off instalments for a nice car, and buying apparels and phones way beyond their budgets. It’s all about external appearance. Kat rumah, cupboard kain yang senget macam Leaning Tower of Pisa pun taknak ganti. Tilam nipis 10 tahun tak nak tukar. Tengah bulan dah pokai, makan Maggi Cup Noodle sampai hujung bulan. Gaji up sikit, dah qualify for credit card, modify kete sampai tak terbayar. Lepas tu menghutang. PTPTN tak settle. It’s okay ma. Gaya mesti ada ma..... Eh wake up la. The next person that asks ‘eh you kerje bank gaji ok pun naik LRT ke?’, I will ask him/her to follow me to 99 SpeedMart kejap, tunggu kat luar, I pegi beli selipar jepun, bukak wrapping, pegang kat tangan, kasi pelempang satu das dua. Yeesh…
Posted on: Fri, 12 Dec 2014 11:41:54 +0000
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