r/SMRTRabak • u/ExpressGovernment385 • 3d ago
Map reading
Tourists needed help to understand and navigate the map, with the help of a local auntie. Instead of train station staff.
So much for easily understandable signages.
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u/foldinthecheeseee 3d ago
Lol as a born and raised in singapore singaporean for 35 years, im embarrassed to admit the amount of times im there at the board
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u/zanraku 3d ago
Yes I agree the signages suck all over, but how you know the auntie didn't volunteer to help? And that is Outram Park, one of the busiest interchanges, how many MRT staff you want to be parked at all the intersections?
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u/ExpressGovernment385 3d ago
If SMRT isn’t able to park enough staff to help commuters navigate the different exits available, shouldn’t SMRT/LTA makes the signs easily understandable to the tourists? If not, what’s the purpose of the signages that are hanging off the ceiling?
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u/Hopeful-Importance62 3d ago
What is wrong with reading maps? Maybe the tourists were simply planning where to go next, and the auntie happened to walk up to them to give some recommendations on places to visit. People from that generation do tend to strike up conversations with strangers more often.
Did you actually walk over and ask what was going on, or did you just see some ang mohs, take a photo from afar, and come up with your own conclusion for internet points?
As for staff assistance, there are staff stationed at the Passenger Service Centre. It is not as though there was nobody available to help if assistance was needed.
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u/LittleGDS 3d ago edited 3d ago
The signage can display all the various road names, but does the tourist know what’s Raffles Boulevard, or Beach Road? End of the day, they only know building names. So that’s why there’s a map.
Even for myself, I do refer to them rather than reading all those long chunk of road names and start going “wth is that”. Obviously building names does help, but it’s only selected few nearby. Does not help when I’m going further.
Even in Taipei, where the station layout is far more complicated, such map plays a better navigation aid than their signages with tons of info. FYI, they are using numbers exit with the road name/place of interest. While it helps when I’m heading directly there to the place of interest, the road names are pretty useless for me because I’m not a local.
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u/mrfoxesite-2377 3d ago
The signage is for the station or the line not other parts of the MRT/LRT. Do you want (NEL) signage hanging down at (TEL)? Then what's the point of the map? Its also clearly signage.
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u/EffectiveWealth4759 2d ago
Eh tbh the signs quite ok already eh. Pretty good enough to tell you where you need to go to go where. But you will always need a map, signs can only put so much information bruh. If not instead of being concise, signages will be paragraphs
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u/shad0w_mode 3d ago
ok lah sometimes I have to double confirm which direction I need to go after exiting so the navigation board more useful.
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u/RichBackground6445 3d ago
God you must be exhausting to have as a friend, complaining about such a non-issue thing. Even I found this photo cute until I read your caption.
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u/LightBluely 3d ago
A bit related but this kinda happened to me while I was at MBS. The tourist were lost while trying to find Bayfront station and I pointed the direction. I can tell she's a tourist just by the accent.
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u/Local_Toast5175 3d ago
I love helping tourists out from time to time, I remember helping two tourists out back then, same night, same train station, I didn't cared how tired I was after work nor did I cared how late it was getting after my shift, I only thought of helping them get to their destination properly and safely
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u/Quirky-Score-7767 3d ago edited 3d ago
I use Google Maps all the time and it helps me so much in navigating and travelling around Singapore and Japan. When Sim card was a luxury I used an offline map app and was able to navigate Rotterdam independently while offline, thanks to GPS. Nowadays when I travel overseas I can just buy and download e-sim and use Google Map online with unlimited data.
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u/whimsicism 3d ago
They’re literally looking at the locality map though, which has nothing to do with navigation within the station.
It’s kinda weird to post this if you don’t understand the purpose of the map that they’re looking at.
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u/ExpressGovernment385 3d ago
Did the post say anything about navigation within the station? It’s kinda weird to comment if you don’t understand the purpose of this post.
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u/peachteaisnice 3d ago
Because nowadays, the exits are named Exit 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 not Hawker Centre, Raffles City, Suntec City, Esplanade. So they want you to look at the map and find out exit 3 and 4 goes to Raffles City instead of showing thats the Raffles City exit.
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u/Oscarizxc 3d ago
As long as people in SG drive with GPS to as a guided method, we have no right to talk about people needing help with maps or locations in general. Hust saying.
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u/Hopeful-Importance62 3d ago
After taking a closer look, I don’t think she is just another random auntie. If you look carefully, she is carrying a small luggage while dressed in formal attire. For those who enter MRT stations early in the morning, around 7 am or so, you will probably see these officers waiting at the security booth before their shift starts.
I am hazarding a guess that she could be a security officer who had just finished her shift. These officers often help with wayfinding and assisting commuters, so it wouldn’t be surprising if she was helping the tourists with directions or recommendations. Of course, none of us can know for sure from a photo alone.
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u/Fair-Second-642 3d ago
And these maps are terrible becuase the north is all over the place. It is not the upward north that u see on google map. So, if u need to use it to find the correct exit, you need to rotate the google map to match the north on these maps. Wonder who the hell designed all these
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u/GoldenMaus 3d ago edited 3d ago
I had the same problem as you. The north is not point upwards.
It always screwed with my wayfinding in the stations.Later I realised that the map is this way because it relates to the actual left/right directions while you are looking at the map.
So for example, i illustrate with a map below in numbers
1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9You are looking at the map and your destination on the map is at 2. So that means you need to walk in front towards your destination.
4 - your destination is to the left of you
6 - walk to the right
8 - turn around 180 degrees, your destination is behind youedit to add: the mrt maps are not designed for map readers, it's designed for people who cannot create a mental map model
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u/This-Limit7126 3d ago
One problem is that their compass are not consistent, so it can be confusing at times.
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u/Used-Educator-8514 3d ago
You be surprised how many youngsters can't read map and analog time.
Even someone who knows how still need to first ORIENTATE themselves when see a new map.
As long as you do and find info view need. It served its purpose.
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u/Confuseducksigner 3d ago
Thats totally okay? I got asked a couple of times too, sometimes even local auntie uncle
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u/Advanced-Ear-7908 2d ago
The maps are oriented with whatever direction you are facing but you are under ground with no visual reference. And your Google maps uses "up" as north which is probably what you looked at before departing. So combine unknown compass heading plus unfamiliar area basically leaves you completely at a loss for a minute.
But at least if your destination is within 200m there is probably a sign saying take exit <x> for that thing.
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u/Beardy4906 2d ago
Honestly.. I would say if you understand Singapore signage.. it’s really easy..
And not many countries have the same amount of signage as Singapore.. so when tourists come they might need help in reading the maps..
Also it’s perfectly ok to not know how to do something..
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u/furby_bot 2d ago
It is easy to understand compared to Japan and Korea. High chance they are not tech savvy to use Google Maps
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u/Hide88 1d ago
Weird that I don't get lost in Shinjuku station, but SG MRT exit do confuses me. Maybe Japan station exits grouped by north east west south -> then the various sub exit kinda works for moving people in a general direction.
Locally, it's straight abcdefgh but it has no significance to what that exit is meant for. Until now I don't remember what is my usual mrt exit alphabet to my house. Do you guys remember it?
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u/Left_Rough7131 23h ago edited 23h ago
Tourist: "Excuse me, Auntie, we want to go to HarbourFront. Which side of the platform?"
Auntie (pointing aggressively at the map): "Ai ya, look here! Left side also can, right side also can. If you take the left, you reach in 5 minutes. If you take the right, you go one big round, see the whole island, grow 2 years older, and end up right back here looking at my face again. You choose!"
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u/kiaeej 3d ago
Its okay ah. Sometimes even i dun understand the signs too.