2011-09-17 - 10:10 p.m.
What happened last week on Saturday (10/9) has kept me wondering.
That afternoon, I had lunch at a food court in one of the city's malls with my sister and her two children. After lunch, her six-month-old baby was thirsty. We headed over to the nearest nursery room.
By the time we got there, the door was locked. My sister knocked on it. The door was opened. A young mother from inside the room was smiling stiffly as she said, "It's occupied, Miss." Then it was slammed again in seconds - right in front of our faces. Obviously, that woman did not seem to care if someone else also needed that room.
My sister then asked one of the janitors who happened to pass us:
"Isn't the nursery room a communal space?"
"Yes, it is."
"Then how come that woman is using that all to herself?" my sister demanded. "She's even locking the door!"
"Uh, I don't know about that, Ma'am." The janitor seemed nervous despite her still friendly, polite smile. "We're just providing it."
Then she hurried off before my sister could pursue her with further questions. Perhaps it was not the first time the janitor had a second thought about reminding visitors who take the term "Pelanggan adalah raja/ratu" (Costumers are kings/queens) way too literally. Yes, especially when these costumers prefer treating the public space as if it is their personal domain. It is up to them if they do not feel like sharing it. Other people may find their own.
When my sister knocked that door for the last time, the door burst open again. This time, the woman looked annoyed.
"Why don't you see for yourself here?" she yelled. "It's a very small space. Can you actually fit in here?!"
What had my sister seen in there? It was indeed, a small space. It became even smaller with the way she had dropped her baby stroller across the floor. Not to mention the way she had rested her child - who turned out to be a toddler, not a baby anymore - on a long bench which was supposed to still fit for about two until three more adults.
Not wanting to cause a scene, my sister gave up. We finally walked away to find another place. The woman went back to hogging that entire room.
Actually, the mall has more than one nursery room in the building. However, that woman had no courtesy to at least apologize for having hogged the entire space or try finding a solution so that my sister and her thirsty baby could have a decent spot in it. She did not even bother.
If I did not remember what has been happening to Prita Mulyasari, I might have taken the picture of that woman and have it posted here. But, come to think of it, what could I have possibly gained from that? That is why I only make her a perfect example on how many urban citizens - whom we often speculate as 'the more educated ones' - have lost empathy on others.
What a shame...
The Author
