Nowadays, I feel like I'm becoming more and more observant of my surroundings and the strangers I meet along the way. There was a time, when I was younger, when I rarely paid attention to my environment whenever I was outside. Especially while walking, I would simply bow my head and keep walking until I reached my house.
There was a time when I would just stay in my own zone or bubble of thought whenever I was commuting to work. I’d either be listening to podcasts or a playlist of songs, not paying much attention to the people around me in the MRT. But lately, I’ve noticed that I’ve become much more aware of those around me. The ones who catch my attention are usually those behaving unusually in public or at the MRT stations.
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I'm not exactly sure how others define people who act unusually, but for me, I have a personal list of behaviors I find odd in the MRT. While I do find them strange, I don’t think they’re harmful or disrespectful to anyone. So I consider these behaviors tolerable. Even though they often catch my attention, they’re not a serious nuisance that would make me want to report them to the authorities. In fact, I feel empathetic, because I believe these individuals may genuinely need support when it comes to their mental health.
Here are some behaviors I’ve observed that I think might benefit from the help of mental health professionals or therapists:
The Announcer
So far, I’ve only seen one person doing this. It’s a guy who recites every announcement made on the MRT. As the prerecorded messages play over the speakers during the ride, he loudly repeats them word for word. He does it with such volume that everyone in the train can hear him clearly. I’ve noticed this several times over the past couple of months, which makes me think he either commutes regularly at the same time I do, or I just keep coincidentally running into him—LOL.
The Social Butterfly
This guy is very friendly, actually too friendly and chatty to the point that it weirds people out. It seems clear that he’s dealing with some kind of mental health issue because normally, strangers in the MRT don’t talk to each other like they’re best friends. This “Social Butterfly,” as I call him, tries to talk to anyone who sits beside him. I’ve only witnessed this once and haven’t seen him again since.
It was both weird and funny. He was so friendly that the person sitting next to him felt obligated to respond with a polite nod or a simple smile. The reason? None of the words he was saying made any sense. He was just mumbling things that were hard to understand, but his body language was so open and cheerful that he didn’t come off as threatening at all. I just found the whole thing strange and amusing at the same time.
The Magazine Fan
This guy is very quiet and hardly noticeable, but if you're observant enough, he might catch your attention for one simple reason. He carries a plastic bag filled with old magazines. During the entire train ride, he appears to be reading one of them. He reads silently, but you can see his lips moving, as if he’s softly mumbling the words to himself.
The odd part is that he just keeps staring at the same page the entire time and never flips to the next one. I’m not entirely sure what’s going on, but to me, it doesn’t seem like typical behavior. His body language also feels a bit unusual.
Among the strange things I’ve seen people do on the MRT, this one is probably the least disturbing. He’s calm and quietly absorbed in his own world, just reading his magazine.
The Manager
I noticed him during last night’s MRT commute. At first, he seemed completely normal. He was dressed nicely for a Friday night, as if he had just finished work and was on his way home. He wore a face mask, like many people still do even after the pandemic. He looked well-groomed, with a neat haircut and well-chosen accessories.
The strange part was what happened after he sat down. He suddenly started talking to himself—as if he were in a meeting room, speaking to a group of people like a manager. His hand gestures were elaborate and very expressive, almost like he was giving a presentation.
At first, I thought he might be on a call using earbuds, but then I realized he wasn’t wearing any. That’s when it became clear to me that he might be dealing with a mental health issue.
Observing these moments during my daily commute has made me more aware, not just of others, but of how little we often understand what someone might be going through. While some of these behaviors may seem odd at first, they remind me to approach people with empathy rather than judgment. In the end, a little understanding can go a long way in a world where everyone is fighting their own silent battles.
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