An auntie in Singapore has divided the internet after using a toothpick to shield herself from a sleepy child on an MRT ride.
The act, which was caught on camera, first made rounds on r/trashy, a Reddit community dedicated to “all things trashy” last week.
User @maxdilbe, who uploaded the photo, claimed that the child “looked to be about 4 or 5 years old.”
The auntie allegedly threw “annoyed looks” at the child’s “mom/caretaker” at first, but the latter did not seem to care.
The auntie’s “husband,” who sat on her right, then offered to switch places, but “holding a toothpick close to where the kid’s head hit was a better solution.”
Apparently, the tension came to an end when the caretaker finally took notice and moved the child to another seat.
While @maxdilbe intended to shame the act, an overwhelming number of users sided with the auntie, arguing that it was within her rights to protect her personal space.
“Just because it’s a child doesn’t mean they’re entitled to sleep on you. A stranger is a stranger, you don’t know what they have or can do,” one commented.
Another pointed out that the child’s caretaker is the trashy one.
“Judging from the size of the child’s shoulder, they are surely old enough to know not to fall asleep on strangers. The trashy one is the parent that didn’t teach their kid properly.”
Interestingly, the photo drew contrasting reactions on r/singapore, where many slammed the auntie for her passive-aggressive solution.
“She has every right to protect her personal space,” one wrote. “But be a decent f***ing human being about it, don’t set a f***ing trap with a sharp object. That’s just being a passive aggressive c**t. Give him a nudge or politely ask him to move back like a normal person.”
Meanwhile, another questioned why it must have been hard for the auntie to speak up.
“Why not just tell the person ‘you are accidentally bumping into me’? Is that so hard? What is wrong with Singaporeans?”
Featured Images via Reddit / @maxdilbe
