Top image: Stephanie Lee / RICE Media. All other images by Andre Frois for RICE Media.
Have our MRT cabins become smellier, or are we just getting bolder with complaining online?
If you haven’t been following, here’s what Singapore’s up in arms about.
There are two types of morning commuters: those who shower before stepping into society, and those who believe their natural musk is god’s gift to humanity.
The latter wake up, stretch, yawn, and think, yes, the essence of yesterday shall carry me through today. These individuals board the train, grip the overhead handle, and unleash a reckoning. Eyes water. Noses twitch. The air itself recoils. Somewhere, a canary in a coal mine gasps its last breath.
And if we are to believe social media’s metrics, then these reprobates are on the rise.
There is no escape, unless you can hold your breath longer than an Olympic free diver. Breathing through your mouth only makes it worse—you can taste the air now. Some flinch, some endure, others pretend nothing’s wrong while quietly suffocating.
Despite our shared silence, we commuters need to respect that we are bound by the invisible thread of proximity. And within that closeness, an undeniable truth lingers: scent respects neither decorum nor personal space.
My point is, this problem has an easy fix—just be mindful of how you smell. The biggest difference between Tokyo’s vaunted and New York’s notorious subway systems? Civic-mindedness.
But if you’re hoping our $2 MRT rides will ever smell like the Four Seasons, well—don’t hold your breath.
Previously regarded as an unspoken social contract, hygiene on public transport has sparked not only TikTok haranguing but also thoughtful conversations about stereotypes, privilege and empathy.
“It’s a bit of a gamble when I spot spaces to stand or sit in the train because I have to make snap judgements of the surrounding commuters at each spot and guess which group will be less pungent.
Part and parcel of saving money instead of paying the Grab surge every morning is playing this MRT version of Russian roulette.
Here’s an idea—Bag-Down Benny and Hush-Hush Hannah introduce a new friend called Scentless Sam.”
— Nadia, 26
“When I’m on a crowded bus or train in the morning trying to go to work, chances are, there’ll be a guy near me who smells like dead crabs. I hate that many commuters don’t bathe before heading out the door.”
— Darren, 36
“A little deodorant will go a long way. Do we need to place communal deodorant sprays at our MRT stations? Does everything in Singapore need an awareness campaign? Even for personal hygiene and etiquette, do we need big posters to remind commuters not to be gross?”
— Alvin, 39
“Singaporeans seem to need handholding and legislature for everything. Maybe MRT stations need ‘smell tests’ before they let commuters enter? Playing videos on MRT screens reminding people to freshen up will be embarrassing for our nation, but it seems that it’s come to this.”
— Tim, 43
“These social media debates made me question my own scent. I smelled myself and felt very embarrassed. I’ve since cut ultra-processed food, and my pits smell much better now.”
— Marianne, 28
“I once came across this group of people who smelled so bad, that half the cabin’s commuters alighted after the group boarded. Just shower lah, seriously. There are public shower facilities everywhere nowadays.”
— Dzul, 40
“I think the belief that it’s Chinese people who don’t shower in the morning, is an urban legend. My family showers every morning, and smelly people on the trains come from all walks of life.
There’ve been times when I’ve been ‘ambushed’ by odours in the MRT—an uncle with B.O., a labourer after work, a sweaty dude, and I’d have nowhere else to stand until I reached my stop.
That said, our foreign labourers who might smell bad after a long day’s work need our empathy.”
— Jack, 39
“Why the sudden witch trial? Why didn’t we have this public debate when I was trying to convince my ex that morning showers are a must? Must shower lah! What kind of excuse is ‘hair wet, no time to blow dry’? Just wake up earlier. For some people, their beds are sacred, so they shower before turning in, but the MRT trains are not.”
— Robert, 49
“I’ve encountered biohazard-level farts, B.O. and sweat. Public transport is for everyone, so we shouldn’t discriminate, but if you are the culprit, you should own up and apologise.
Likewise, we all need to be more forgiving towards one another’s scents and stenches, especially when that stench cannot be helped.”
— Brad, 29
“I remember riding near a really smelly guy last month, but I think he was homeless. This is complicated because, ideally, everyone should be super empathetic and have a good understanding of their own privilege, but most Singaporeans aren’t.
However, with the MRT trains getting more and more crowded, they are getting smellier, so it’s understandable that more commuters are unhappy.”
— Jiehao, 30
“To put into perspective, Singapore’s public transport is pretty affordable compared to many other countries. Most of us aren’t sitting in a smelly train or bus for three hours every day, and we generally don’t have larger scale sanitation issues like sewage leaks, or rats in the stations and tunnels.
So, putting up with a bit of B.O. occasionally is tolerable. And if it’s really bad, there’s the option of hopping off and waiting for the next train or bus.”
— Sandra, 24
