SMRT has introduced a new sign on its buses since August 2019:

It is to remind commuters not to rest their feet on the bus seats for obvious hygiene reasons, and not to deprive others of a seat.

However, the signs have been failing to do their job, as commuters openly violate the rule that is right in front of them.

Here are some examples of selective blindness in Singapore:

Online responses

The majority of responses to these photos have been to slam the commuters for a lack of civic-mindedness.

However, there are two plausible-sounding explanations for why this behaviour persists even with the sign up, and they have nothing to do with ageist types of reasoning or blaming it on the boomers

Firstly, it could be because of the seats' inherent design, which invites commuters to naturally carry out this behaviour.

Secondly, it could be that bus seats and rides in general are comfortable enough for commuters to have little to no qualms displaying such behaviour in public.

So, if the designs of the seats cannot be altered, then the signs will just have to take the their time to have their intended effect.

Or not.