RapidKL takes to Facebook to tackle bad commuter habits

Pictures posted by RapidKL on Facebook show bread stuffed down the side of a seat and a man doing chin-ups in a train. RapidKL uses witty posts to remind people of dos and don'ts on trains.
Pictures posted by RapidKL on Facebook show bread stuffed down the side of a seat and a man doing chin-ups in a train. RapidKL uses witty posts to remind people of dos and don'ts on trains. PHOTO: FACEBOOK/RAPIDKL
Pictures posted by RapidKL on Facebook show bread stuffed down the side of a seat (above) and a man doing chin-ups in a train. RapidKL uses witty posts to remind people of dos and don'ts on trains.
Pictures posted by RapidKL on Facebook show bread stuffed down the side of a seat (above) and a man doing chin-ups in a train. RapidKL uses witty posts to remind people of dos and don'ts on trains. PHOTO: FACEBOOK/RAPIDKL

KUALA LUMPUR • Malaysia's public transport operator RapidKL is using witty posts on Facebook to highlight poor commuter habits and gently remind users of dos and don'ts while riding the train, reported the New Straits Times.

The series of posts, written in Malay and English, began last Wednesday, drawing thousands of responses.

One post features a picture of man grabbing the train handrails with both hands to pull himself up off the floor. The accompanying caption by RapidKL read: "These handlebars may be tempting for you to do chin-ups BUT bro, keep the gym workout at the gym."

Passengers were also reminded to be considerate to others, with a post showing plastic bags occupying a seat and the message: "... (if you are still unaware), plastic bags do not need a special seat on the train ..."

Similar to Singapore, commuters on Kuala Lumpur's LRT and MRT are not allowed to eat and drink on the trains. Unlike in Singapore however, this rule is frequently flouted.

After finding bread stuffed down the side of a train seat, RapidKL wrote: "We know what you did last Raya. But honey, our seats are warriors. They don't need any food/roti to survive."

It also wrote a pantun, or Malay rhyme, dedicated to a group of teenagers snapped drinking from plastic containers, reminding them that eating and drinking were not allowed on the train.

Netizens responded positively to the "entertaining admin", telling the RapidKL team "to keep up the good work" and to continue public shaming if this was what it took to change the behaviour of "stubborn Malaysians".

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 31, 2017, with the headline RapidKL takes to Facebook to tackle bad commuter habits. Subscribe