Basic Public Transport Tips for Singles (LRT Only) Part 2/2

I apologize for the late update. I've been so busy slacking around lately... haha.

As promised, tips on packing for public transport.

The idea is to pack light, but not miss out any essentials for public transport. What are the essentials? Basically, you need to keep yourself comfortable and protected from the following:
1. Weather
2. Animals.
3. People (Yes!)
4. Terrain.
5. Bacteria.

We know mother nature can be a bitch sometimes when she floods roads, causes massive traffic jams, stalls LRTs and just generally pisses on everyone. What can we do to stop her? Not much, but we can prepare ourselves...

Bring an umbrella (1), your foremost defense against the elements. If you want to keep the bulk down for fashion or convenience, get a sturdy foldable one, something like the following:

This baby has kept me safe and dry from strong winds and rain. Well, at least from the knee up. Don't stinge and get a sissy umbrella... you'll be wishing you paid a few extra ringgit WHEN (that's right, not IF) you get caught in a storm and your unbrella folds up and dies. Depending on the type of umbrella you choose, it could also be used as defense against animals and people. Something come too close for comfort? Whack it or poke it. If you're really into a premium one and know how to use a good stick to defend yourself, consider getting an unbreakable umbrella. If you're using a foldable type, remember to bring a plastic bag (2) to store it in your bag when you enter a shaded area.






Get a pair of waterproof shoes (3) and pack a plastic bag (4). This goes a long way in helping you navigate through puddles and keeping your feet dry. Remember to wear good cotton socks as this soaks up most of the moisture before it reaches your feet. Make sure it has a good grip, and you're set to handle slippery slopes and Malaysian roads (think potholes!). Bring your good pair of shoes for your destination if your waterproof shoes aren't stylish enough.

Bring an instant hand sanitizer (5) (alcohol based, ask for one in the pharmacy or outlets like Watsons) and a packet of tissues (which can be used if you need to potty ;-) ). God knows but you don't know what you'll be picking up on the train when you hold the handles. Make it a habit to sanitize after you get off. Note that this probably only protects you from bacteria, not viruses. To clear viruses from your hand, you'll probably need to rub your hands as if washing them.

The rest is really up to you. Bring a bottle of water if you'll be out long, and bring some entertainment, preferably something non-bulky. It may help to bring a spare think fabric change of clothes (including socks, underwear optional) wrapped in a plastic bag in case you get wet.

A couple more things about adjusting your backpack. Don't leave the straps loose so much so that your backpack dangles off your back when you move around. Doing so saps your energy as you have to compensate for the up and down movements of the bag. Not only that, it's less stable (feels like falling off all the time) and prevents you from moving and reacting quickly to the environment you're in, potentially putting your safety at risk.




So pull up your straps until your backpack is nice and firm against your back, and the bag + load moves with your body instead of swings towards it when you move. Best to keep both straps on your shoulders as you move, but in the interest of managing heat exchange, you may at times want to use just 1 strap on 1 shoulder as that will open up airflow to your back.


So, pack your 5 essentials and have fun travelling on public transport!
It helps to keep fit, btw...

Basic Public Transport Tips for Singles (LRT Only) Part 1/2

Colleague: Hey pohpiah, how do you get to work everyday?

pohpiah: I take the LRT.

Colleague: Do you drive at all?

pohpiah: Nope. It's too expensive to own, maintain and operate one here in KL. I would nearly just break even with my present salary. I might as well work in my hometown.

Colleague:Quite difficult to get around in KL without a car, right?

pohpiah: Not if you do it right :).

Repeat this conversation 10 times and I have my motivation for posting this blog. Why public transport? It's green, it's cheap, it's convenient. All it takes is a little planning. Here are some basic tips on how to improve your public transport experience. Note that these tips may not work for everyone... but it will help those is similar situations that i'm in.

Tip #1 - The Job: You'll be spending 20days x 8 hours at least on your job, per month. Hence, you'll be making about 20 trips per month TO your office. I'm sure that you don't want to end up a sweaty pig when you arrive at your workplace. If at all possible, get a job at a workplace within 15 minutes walking distance to the LRT station. Make sure you factor in the time for taking detours to walk along main streets or safe areas. Most importantly, make sure your walk isn't uphill.

Tip #2 - The Home: This is even more important than the job. You're likely to make about 28 trips to and from your home combined. Again, no one really wants to end up a sweaty pig when they've just reached home, so pick a place within 20 minutes walk. If you're a health buff with no time to exercise, pick one that's uphill. Can't afford a home near an LRT station?

Tip #3 - Peak or off-peak: Definitely travel off-peak whenever you can. Start early in the mornings. The trains tend to be tolerable before 7.20am. If you can't hit that window of opportunity, look out for the timing of the empty trains that the good folks at Rapid KL sometimes send out to clear out the crowds. At my station, they come at about 7.30am and 8am each. In the evenings, if you can, go home past 8.30pm. If you can't, go back as early as possible. Again, there are options if you absolutely must join the crowd.

Tip #4 - If you need to travel peak: Take comfort in the fact that the legions of drivers and bus riders outside are in no better shape than you. In fact, you're in a better position as you can do other things, unless of course you like sitting in your car and swearing at the traffic jams.

Ticketing options are the first important step to save time. I use the monthly travel ticket option to save time. Imagine the long queue at the counter, then later at the turnstiles. Takes about 15 minutes to get through, right? Imagine doing that for every trip. 15minutesX2X20 = 10 hours per month in queue. That's a lot of time! Instead, spend RM100 and wave your ticket at the guard and walk right through, and use your time for something else. Chances are you'll be using close to a RM100 each month anyway.

Choosing a queue is the next step. Typically queues closest to the stairs for stations you walk up to (typically the outdoor ones) have the shortest queues as most people are too lazy to use the stairs. The same tend to find it unreasonable to walk from the escalators or lifts to the other end to queue. For walk down stations, queues blocked by walls are your best bet as they limit the size of the queue. It might be worth waiting in the neighbouring queue to pounce through the shorter queue if you have the chance. Above all, don't let the queue size fool you. Choose the queue with the most aggressive/impatient/pressed for time looking people in front who will tend to squeeze into a crowded train. I was blocked once for 4 trains by a lady in front of my who was too timid to squeeze in and too clueless to step aside. This resulted in many people from the next (and a longer one!) queue getting ahead of me! Grrr...
One more thing, stand with the queue that does the exiting crowd does not turn towards. It's more difficult to get into the train that way.

Tip #5 - Packing: I'll leave this one for the next post :).

If you ever need privacy... ;)

I passed by the Old KTM station along Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin this morning. It was unsurprisingly empty since most of the old traffic has been taken over by KL Sentral. And when I said empty, I really meant empty, as even the guy who's usually watching the turnstiles wasn't there! As I walked down the along the platform, it occured to me that I probably had 15 minutes to do whatever I wanted in open space and no one would notice.

Lower in the tunnels there's more privacy. I estimate that I would have had the tunnels all to myself for at least 15 minutes if I really wanted it. ;)

Point of the post, if you can't find a room in the morning in KL, use the Old KTM station. You can do most things there in 15 ;). Use the platform if you're more adventurous. I promise I won't look.

Lol!

The ultimate desperado!

Are there any female readers out there looking for a FREE place to stay with FREE utilities provided? Look no further, because this fella I found on the net is offering it to you at Vista Komanwel KL: http://vk.com.my/node/144
The catch is, however, is that he's looking for a 'romantic relationship' with his would-be tenant.

This post was created to get a good laugh and to help a fellow man in distress ;)

Job Interview IQ Test

Ever had a company put you through a pre-interview IQ test? I had one yesterday and came across this fun question that I'd like to share.

'A' has a younger brother 'B', but 'A' is not 'B's older brother. What is 'A'?

It stumped me for a little while, but eventually I figured out the answer :). Can you?

Lifeboat

Here's an interesting piece I wanted to share, in my own words:

Say you're on a lifeboat with 10 other people after the luxury cruiseliner you were on sank due to a fire on board. Taking helm of captain of the boat, you say 'Everyone, this boat was made for 20 people and is stocked with more than enough rations. I say we each have an extra biscuit or 2 since these rations will last us well along until we're rescued, which should be in 24 hours. What say you?'. A lady pipes up and says, 'A biscuit or 2 more will certainly be welcome, but shouldn't we rescue that woman there in the water who has been calling out to us for the past hour?'.  Some of the people on board look embarassed, others look indignant. 'Why should we?", you reply. "We agreed that it's not us who killed her. It's certainly not our fault she's not on board". "If we don't save her, she'll die", says the lady. "Well, life's not fair and there's no free lunch", you reply. "Who wants another biscuit?".

This analogy represents the real world where some people in developed nations are not willing to give up their extra 'biscuits' to help those dying or severely disadvantaged in developing nations where malnutrition, lack of access to basics like clean water and medicine are taking the lives of people on a daily basis. In a local context, it represents the upper/middle class and those below the poverty line. Seen in this light, it's certainly shocking and seemingly immoral to deny help to others when we are able to give our extra biscuits. Yet does this analogy stand in reality?

It can be argued that we work hard to maintain ourselves, our families, our loved ones, and therefore we deserve the extra biscuits that we can get by principle of ownership. Yet, if we're to alter the analogy so that the items on the boat are owned by the occupants, does it make it alright?

The article halts it's analysis here and implies not giving is immoral. But I have a few extra thoughts on the issue. In the analogy, the estimated time of arrival of help is known, 24 hours. So the extra capacity and the exact use of the resource is known, hence it's immoral to deny help to another person when the ship has excess capacity. In real life, we have no way of really knowing how much resources is enough. Inflation eats away at our spending power, drawing us ever closer to poverty unless we struggle to keep afloat. To give away wealth without knowing the future for certain would be risky. If we alter the analogy so that it is unknown when help will arrive, so much so that those on board take their rationing seriously, then it becomes more ambiguous if it's immoral to deny others help in the interest of the group, particularly if they hold ownership of the items on board.  

Perhaps then, it's immoral if one knows for certain that he or she has enough but refuses to help those who are dying from the lack of resources. Personally, I think the best time to give help is in your will. That's the time you're pretty sure you won't need most of what you've earned, after you've covered your dependents, that is. What do you think? Is it immoral not to give up your luxuries in life to help others?

Eternal life

My sister recently bought some books on which the recent movie 'Twilight' was based on. The protagonist cum narrator of the story is an average girl that recently moved into Folks, a rural town where her father lives. There she meets and falls in love with a vampire.

Personally, I found the vampire concept quite facinating, particularly the part of living on for a long long time or eternally. Would you want to live forever, if the opportunity presented itself to you and you alone? I certainly wouldn't because I can't bear to live alone. Others will age and die, right? It'll be hard to make new friends, knowing how much older you are mentally than the rest of the population.