A Moment of Care at Lentor MRT Station

It was a weekday evening at Lentor MRT Station.

With fewer people around at that hour, the station felt quieter. An elderly woman in her 50s-60s stood scanning the area, uncertain about where to go.

Selene Teo had just tapped out of the fare gates when the elderly woman approached her to ask for directions to Aljunied MRT Station.

Showing Directions, Sharing Care

Selene shared the directions patiently, using her phone’s map applications to break down the journey and point out the necessary transit stops. To Selene, helping the elderly woman with directions is a simple gesture.

“Even if I am in a rush, it wouldn’t be time consuming”, she said.

To ensure that the commuter feel confident navigating the station on her own, Selene guided her to the station’s locality map and went through the directions once more, before continuing her journey.

Moments like these showed how acts of care can make public transport more welcoming.

Photo of Selene Teo. Source: Selene Teo

Nothing Wrong with Attempting to Help

During the process, Selene did not hesitate and confidently assisted the elderly women when approached.

“There is nothing wrong with attempting to help, even if you might not be sure if the answers were wrong. If you do not have the answers, perhaps help to guide someone who can help or search if you are tech savvy,” she said.

That’s the advice she would give to someone who wants to help but is afraid of doing the wrong thing.