On Monday (18-July-2022), Malaysian public transport provider Rapid KL posted a sarcastic reminder about the rules of eating on the train and even hashtagged #tegursebabsayang (advising out of love). However, this has backfired badly as social media users are now either replying with their own snarky remarks or criticising the provider for the poor train services.
The post that Rapid KL had uploaded included a photo of two girls eating cup noodles while on the MRT. In the caption, Rapid KL had quipped that it has never prepared hot water for passengers to eat Maggi in its trains.
They also pointed out that the girls did not put their masks back on after they have finished with their meals. Rapid KL ended the post by reasoning that the no eating and drinking regulation imposed on all trains were for the comfort of the train users.
The shade Rapid KL had thrown on Facebook quickly went viral garnering over 1,000 likes and shares with over 2,000 comments. However, not all these comments were in support of the train provider’s post.
Some social media users thanked Rapid KL for the reminder but tagged on advice of their own to remind the train provider to repair its escalators as well as the ongoing leaking ceilings. Some also criticised the long LRT/MRT intervals and late buses.
One social media user also quipped that perhaps the girls were hungry because they had to hike the stairs since the lifts and escalators were all out of order, adding that perhaps they also had to wait longer for the train to arrive.
Tak pernah pula kami sediakan air panas untuk makan megi dalam tren kami. Dah makan, tak pakai pelitup muka pula. Untuk keselesaan anda, ada sebab kami melarang penumpang untuk makan dan minum di dalam tren.#rapidkl #tegursebabsayang pic.twitter.com/m6adjhTeAE
— Ask Rapid KL (@AskRapidKL) July 19, 2022
The same goes for the same post that Rapid KL had posted on Twitter. Social media users were quick to point out more faults they have experienced in train stations such as faulty top-up and coin machines and even the problems on the Pulse app, Rapid KL’s public transport tracking app.
One Twitter user even replied to the thread with a video of a badly congested LRT station taken yesterday (20-July-2022), which is a common occurrence ever since Rapid KL introduced longer intervals between trains in the name of upgrading works.
Salam @AskRapidKL pic.twitter.com/hF3Y4u9x6h
— hasanah abdullah (@sanahabdullah) July 20, 2022
Rapid KL has been under fire for various reasons for months. The public transport provider was first criticised for the constant train breakdowns along the Kelana Jaya Line and then later the long intervals between trains causing massive congestions on train platforms.
Other grievances also came to light such as the poor maintenance of train stations as well as the poorly designed Pulse app.
Keyword: Rapid KL's sarcastic quip about eating in trains on social media backfires; Netizens say fix your services first!