A TikTok video posted by user @kati_on_air on 21 January has reignited a familiar public transport debate in Singapore: should visibly pregnant commuters still have to ask for a seat?
The 12-second clip shows the view from a standing passenger’s perspective inside an MRT carriage. Seated commuters are seen scrolling on their phones, some with headphones in, others staring straight ahead. Overlaid text reads:
“POV: you are 8 months pregnant and nobody offering seat, everyone ‘pretending’ to be on their phone – welcome to Singapore MRT.”
In the caption, the woman shared that this was not an isolated incident. She added that when a seat was eventually offered, it was “usually the women” who did so, “never the men, especially not young men.”
The post quickly gained traction, racking up hundreds of thousands of views and thousands of comments. What followed was less about the video itself, and more about what Singaporeans expect, or don’t expect, from one another in public spaces.
“They just pretend to sleep”
Many commenters, especially women who had experienced pregnancy themselves, echoed the frustration shown in the video.
One woman wrote that she had learned to be more assertive during her second pregnancy, even obtaining an MRT-issued priority card and directly asking able-bodied passengers seated in priority seats to give way.
She recalled how some commuters would see her and immediately “pretend to go to sleep,” including one young man who supposedly shut his eyes after making eye contact, prompting her to tap him on the shoulder and tell him to stand up.
Another said she sometimes skipped trains altogether or paid for private rides during her last trimester just to avoid standing.
“It’s really not easy,” she wrote, offering words of encouragement to the original poster.
For these commenters, the issue was not about special treatment, but basic courtesy — especially when priority seats exist for a reason.
As one put it bluntly: “I think it’s common courtesy to give up your seat when you see a pregnant lady… like what do you mean she has to ask?”
“Just ask” — and the Backlash
But the comment section was far from unanimous.
A sizable group argued that commuters are not obligated to constantly scan their surroundings for who might need a seat. Several said they would gladly give up their seat; if only someone asked.
“Most of us just mind our own business on trains,” one user wrote, adding that people are often too absorbed in their phones to notice. Others described Singapore’s unspoken norm of non-interference, framing it as politeness rather than indifference.
Some took the critique further, accusing the pregnant commuter of entitlement. One particularly polarising comment asked readers to consider whether tired F&B workers or migrant construction workers, who may have stood for hours, should automatically be expected to give way simply because someone is pregnant.
“You don’t know everyone’s lives or what they’re going through,” the commenter argued.
Other users questioned why responsibility was being shifted onto the pregnant woman instead of those occupying priority seats, which are explicitly meant for passengers with greater needs.
“Why are you all blaming her when someone who clearly doesn’t need it is sitting on the priority seat?” one comment read.
What the Rules Actually Say
According to SMRT, all train carriages are fitted with designated priority seats near the doors. These red-coloured seats are reserved for commuters with special needs, including pregnant women, the elderly, passengers with disabilities, and those with young children.
Yet, as past incidents and online discussions show, the presence of signage does not always translate into action — especially when social discomfort, ambiguity, or distraction comes into play.
A Reddit thread from May 2025 highlighted another layer to the issue: some commuters admitted they hesitate to offer seats out of fear of offending someone who might not actually be pregnant or in need.
A Mirror to Everyday Behaviour
What the video ultimately captured was not just one woman’s commute, but a broader tension in Singapore’s public spaces; between courtesy and caution, empathy and individualism.
As one commenter summed it up amid the back-and-forth: “The lack of empathy in this comment section is crazy.”
Whether the solution lies in speaking up more, looking up more, or rethinking how priority seats are treated, the conversation sparked by a short MRT clip suggests the situation is quite common.
Watch the video here:
@kati_on_air This is not the first time that happened. And it is usually the women who offer their seat eventually, never the men especially not young men. #singaporemrt #pregnant
More from Wake Up Singapore:-
Singapore Maid Asked to Cook an Egg for Lunch—Employer Said “No”
She Spent $7,000 Turning Her Singapore Flat into a Hatsune Miku Shrine
Singapore Mum Shares 7-Month Helper Costs, Prompting Discussion on Pay and Expectations
If you have a story or a tip-off, email admin@wakeup.sg or get in touch via Whatsapp at 8882 5913.
Interested in advertising on our media channels? Reach out to us at admin@wakeup.sg!
Since you have made it to the end of the article, follow Wake Up Singapore on Telegram and X!
Wake Up Singapore is a volunteer-run site that covers alternative views in Singapore. If you want to volunteer with us, sign up here!
