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Might get stomped, please hear my side of the story
Serious DiscussionI’m incredibly worried as the uncle was pointing the camera to my face. I will feel terrible if it brings trouble to my unit but I don’t know what the reaction will be, so please hear me out.
Today after my course, I boarded a train from Toa Payoh in my smart 4, and stood in front of this malay uncle in a reserved seat. I was facing the opposite direction away from him, and just using my phone to read stuff. When the train reached Bishan, lots of people boarded, I wanted to make more space for them so I moved backwards a bit. Unfortunately when my boots moved too backwards and the back of it touched the front of the uncles leather shoes. I didn’t step on any part but I immediately turned around and said sorry. He didn’t say anything and started using his phone. I turned back around and used my phone too, but suddenly I felt a blunt force hitting my right leg. It was not very strong but on the moving train I almost lost my balance, and it was followed by my toes getting stepped on.
I turned around, and what came into view was the malay uncle’s angry stare, he shouted about my SAF boots. I was so shocked I thought I had apologised and the matter has ended, but I realised why he took out his phone just now—to film me. And I was staring right into the camera. He then started ranting about how NSFs now are lousy, and how I kept moving backwards (the train was moving). I didn’t know what he was going to do, I felt so scared I just stuttered out my apology I really didn’t mean it, but he continued to point the camera at me. The passengers in the cabin they stared at me, I felt so embarassed as I don’t want to reaffirm the bad impression people have of us already. After I genuinely said sorry a few times I just moved away from his camera, I didn’t feel comfortable so I alighted at Ang Mo Kio for the next train.
I’ve been replaying the whole incident in my head ever since. If I had actually stepped on his foot or hurt him, I would completely understand him being upset. But from my perspective, it was an accidental brush of my boot against his shoe in a crowded, moving train, and I apologised immediately. I never expected things to escalate so badly.
Maybe I’m overthinking it, but I’m honestly anxious now. I don’t know if he’ll upload the video to stomp or complain to the SAF because I was in uniform. How he will depict me is also worrying, I don’t want people to think that I’m a terrible person. I’m less worried about people flaming me online and more worried that this somehow causes unnecessary trouble for my unit or my commanders over a genuine accident. I keep wondering if there was something else I should have done differently in that moment. I seriously don’t know what to do, I feel so worried