WHILE illiterate people strive to understand letters and words, it is frustrating how literate people are ungrateful for their ability to read.
I am not talking about their unwillingness and poor motivation to learn reading habits, but their ignorance, selfishness and insensitivity when they come across signs and labels.
Yes, this seems to be a small issue but the effects can be strong and serious. It is one way to help us differentiate between the civilised and uncivilised, the respectful and disrespectful, and the educated and less educated.
During a visit to a bakery, customers turned a blind eye to the sign “Please Queue Here”, making the counter area clustered and uncontrollable.
Unfortunately, the experience at the bakery is not the only one that exhibits low self-awareness among the public on the importance of following rules.
There is a number of common situations that shows up the habits of people who live by the motto “It’s okay, it’s not a big deal”, not realising that they have constantly and subconsciously put other lives in misery.
Take the “No Smoking” sign, for example. Despite the huge letters and logo, some puff away in public without feeling guilty.
Other signs that are not taken seriously include “No Spitting”, “No Littering” and “Flush After Use”.
Those who fail to understand that cleanliness is next to godliness think that it is okay to spit, litter and leave toilets dirty when no one is looking.
This wrong mindset is the reason for our dirty environment and inconvenient restrooms. Worse, children may get the wrong idea and imitate the acts. It is feared that these erroneous practices will cause the next generation to live unhealthy lifestyles.
Likewise, it is also hard to make road users comprehend road signs, especially the ones that disallow U-turns or to exceed speed limits in school zones and overtake in specific areas. Regardless of excuses, breaking the law is intolerable. These users put other lives at stake as they drive recklessly, behaving like gangsters and daredevils.
Let us not belittle the signs as they can make a big difference in our lives.
MUHAMAD SOLAHUDIN RAMLI MARANG, TERENGGANU