The Tyranny of TV Mobile and the Singapore Buses

Yesterday I took the bus home after dinner and I was grateful that, for once, I was able to have a peaceful bus ride. Even though I did not have my MP3 player, I was at least able to sit there and stone without the stupid TV in the bus blasting some stupid program that nobody is watching.

I have come to realise that I am utterly dependent on my MP3 player when I am in the bus. Singapore buses have a stupid TV that is installed at the front and the middle of the bus. According to TV Mobile's marketing, the TV are there so people can catch their favourite shows when they are on the bus (harlow American idol and survivor). BUT what they don't tell you is that among these gems of TV programs (it is of course debatable whether you think American Idol is a gem in the first place, but anyway .. ), there is a lot of CRAP that is being shown during the day. And the worst thing about it is that the same programs are repeated everyday AT THE SAME TIME.

So if you are taking the bus everyday at roughly the same time (which is everyone), then you would assualted by the same CRAPPY shows everyday. For example, I take the bus at 5.30 pm everyday, I will always have to go through the same episodes each week. The same program about how three kids go to a different country to study ... WOW ingenious!! And in this week's episode, the girl in Germany cooks for her friends and they go on a picnic BUT (boo-hoo) it is bloody raining so they eat in the hostel. And the girl in China shows you an eatery that sells Singaporean food and (lo and behold) they have a copy of the Singapore Chinese newspapers. And the Italian guy in Singapore discovers how to -wait for it - take public transport. (Frankly I am amazed that he did not comment on the TVs in the bus).

Yes, all this fabulous information gleaned because my MP3 player ran out of juice.

So I ask this question: if we have to pay for the public good to be supplied by someone (ie government). Should we have to pay SBS or TV mobile so they do not assualt us with this nonsense and crap on our daily bus rides?

I sincerely doubt paying TV mobile will produce better programming since they source these shows from the local TV channels (haha... take that crappy TCS!!). So I think I shall stick to my Coldplay album on my MP3 player. At least I get to control the programming of it. :D

PS: I just remember that in the begining of 2005, TV Mobile was promoting a package where you pay THEM about $500 to install the fabulous TV in your own car. So now you can give up the right to peace and quiet and pay them to irritate and annoy you with lousy local productions. Gee whiz ... sign me up!! Anyway, I have not seen the promotion any more. I wonder why ...