I posted this in a different platform and got ripped apart, probably because of culture differences, so I’m posting here to have a more understanding viewpoint, please be kind and give your honest but fair opinions.
I’m from Singapore. In Singapore, all men aged 18-20, with some exceptions/delays, must do their duty and serve national service for 2 years.
A majority of these men live out on some of the islands surrounding Singapore, in camps, where they do jobs to aid in the defence or functions of our country.
These men used to live out there for the full 2 years, with some breaks in between, but now because ppl were complaining, they come back into the city every weekend.
These men often use public transport on Fridays and Sundays, as they book out of their camps on Friday nights, or evenings and return on Sundays.
I have bfs who’ve served NS, respectfully and dutifully, and my father did it too, when it was much harder, and he never complained.
A “tradition” or unspoken rule is that NS men do not sit down on public transport. First reason for this is that they are bearing the coats of arms of our country, second reason is that they’re meant to be serving our country and a lot of people believe they shouldn’t even be out and about in the first place.
The last reason is that they’re men in their physical prime, meaning they can easily be able to stand for a while.
In more recent times these men have been forgetting themselves, and have began to say they deserve to sit because they actually stand for this country. I think that is bullshit because they’re meant to be serving our country, not sitting on their lazy asses.
So I saw a man sitting on friday, full on decked out in army uniform, on his phone while many women and children and elderly were standing. I walked up to him and tapped him on his knee.
At first I was polite, trying to say there were people who needed his seat more, but he was being a baby saying his legs were sore and “dead”. I reasoned with him some more but eventually just demanded that he get up, citing all the reasons above.
People started staring and pulling out their phones, and I pointed out that he had his name on his chest, so he got up and just walked out of the train.
I told my friends about this, and most agreed that I did the right thing and he should’ve stood, but some of my male friends are refusing to talk to me now.