circular logic

I've always been one for obscure, insignificant, and ultimately super boliao things (though at this hour, no examples come to mind). The latest example of this took place today, when, admittedly semi-buoyed by the pointless novelty of trying out the latest leg of the circle line on the day it was opened to the public, i (after some difficulty, might i add - chalk it up to poor signage at Dhoby Ghaut station) hopped on a circle line train.

Don't get me wrong though, this was, by no means a random, on a whim kinda thing done because i had nothing better to do. I was, of course, headed to school to get some work done (what's new, eh?) That aside though, i'm seriously glad that this part of the line has opened, as it makes traveling to and from school from home that much easier (ah yes, all the better to spend more time in school, the nagging cynic in me would say). As the past week went on, i seriously could hardly wait for the opening, especially since, seemingly in order to perpetuate my perennial frustration with having to rely on buses 14 and 16, i was hit with many just-left-the-stop-as-i-came-within-ten-metres-of-it buses and horrid rainy weather, up till Friday evening, the last possible time whereby i would not be able to try the train back.

My relative satisfaction with the ride today aside, i do wish that they wouldn't pimp the line up to be more than it actually is. My favourite is this report by cna (who else?) stating that by using the line commuters can save both time and money, but giving the ridiculous example of the (train) journey from Paya Lebar to Bartley which "takes about 38 minutes and costs $1.61", while with the opening of the latest circle line stage it will be cut to 6 minutes and save commuters 66 cents, "which is over 40 per cent cheaper than the previous fare".

That's all well and good, but who in their right mind would take the train down from Paya Lebar to City Hall and change to the red line to Dhoby Ghaut and change again to the NEL at Serangoon and then change a final time to the Circle Line to Bartley anyway, when they could easily hop on a bus (i dare say a direct one) and make the trip insurely less than 38 minutes and also at a cheaper price? The answer? Seemingly only Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid , the writer of the article, who along the same lines would, if needing to head to the ground floor from the first, would probably choose to take an elevator all the way up to the topmost floor before taking it down again to the ground floor. Kinda like a Twilight Zone Tower of Terror for the geriatrics.

So don't make the new section of the circle line to be something it's not. Makes travel more convenient? Yes. More environmentally-friendly than diesel-powered buses and taxis? Yes. The cheapest mode of transport? Far from it.