Dear Editor,

I don’t know how everyone else does it. Every morning, the same chaos. People pushing, shoving, barging past each other like the world is ending. Drivers honking, buses late, trains packed like sardines. I swear, some mornings I feel like I need battle armour just to get from A to B.

And it’s not even the big stuff. It’s the little things that get under your skin. People standing in the middle of the platform, blocking everyone. Earphones so loud you can hear every lyric. Kids screaming, parents scrolling on phones, completely oblivious. And when you politely ask someone to move, you get the death stare or some passive-aggressive muttering.

I remember a time when courtesy and patience seemed normal. Someone would offer their seat, hold a door, apologise for bumping into you. Now it feels like those people are extinct. Everyone is in a hurry, everyone is first, everyone is entitled. And we all pay for it — the stress, the frustration, the little fights that happen silently every day.

Honestly, I wonder if the world will ever calm down, or if public transport will just get worse. It feels like a microcosm of everything that’s wrong with society right now.

Unhappy Mike, 74, Illinois, USA

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Editor’s Reply

You are not alone in feeling this way. Public transport is one of the most visible reflections of how society functions under pressure. Crowds, impatience, noise — it amplifies every little fault and frustration. But that doesn’t mean there’s no hope.

The first thing to remember is that most people are just doing their best, even when it looks like chaos. Everyone is juggling deadlines, tiredness, and stress. That doesn’t excuse rudeness, but it explains why it feels like a warzone.

Small actions still matter. Offering a smile, moving slightly to let someone pass, holding a door — these tiny gestures ripple out. They won’t fix the system, but they remind people that basic decency isn’t extinct.

It also helps to take a step back mentally. Treat the commute like a buffer zone — a place to observe, breathe, even practice patience. It’s not easy, but it’s worth trying. And the more people make those little choices, the more the culture shifts, slowly but surely.

Finally, remember that frustration is normal. Feeling annoyed doesn’t make you a bad person. It makes you human. And noticing it, talking about it, is the first step toward a calmer, kinder commute — or at least surviving the chaos with your sanity intact.

Stay strong Mike,

R2J