The kiss heard round the BTS

14 พฤศจิกายน 2557

Public displays of affection (PDAs) declared inappropriate by Bangkok mass transit head. Couples engaging in "intensive PDA" will be asked to leave train by security guards. Hotline to report kissing now available.

Public displays of affection (PDAs) declared inappropriate by Bangkok mass transit head. Couples engaging in "intensive PDA" will be asked to leave train by security guards. Hotline to report kissing now available.

Sailor kisses girlfriend before he heads off to war.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION & KISSING

The kiss heard round the BTS

14/11/2014
Sumati Sivasiamphai

Hello, dear readers! I'm feeling so much love today that I wanted to send out big, sloppy kisses to all of you! Joob, joob, my lovelies!

Oh, but wait! Let's keep our lip-locking a secret and out of the public eye, OK? I wouldn't want to be reprimanded by the "Haughty Yapping Protectors Of Culture, Righteousness, Integrity, Tradition & Everything Saintly".

(Or if you prefer, we can easily abbreviate that to "Hypocrites" since it rolls off the tongue easier and also happens to be a happy coincidence.)

You see, the reason I'm being careful about outward caressing is because a lesbian couple allegedly engaging in public displays of affection (PDA) on the BTS recently came under fire by one of these Hypocrites.

In a video entitled "Hugging and kissing tom-dee get scolded" uploaded to Facebook last week, a female passenger is seen giving a tongue-lashing to the couple for their own tongue movements.

Although the clip doesn't show the actual kissing, petting, fondling or whatever had been taking place, there are about two uneasy minutes of a harsh tirade being launched after the fact.

Among the comments spewed off by the offended onlooker to the canoodling couple are: "Aren't you embarrassed standing here in public being shameless?"; "Everyone is here seeing you and they don't want to say anything, but I've been watching you for so long. If you have no shame, then continue."; "I don't discriminate but if I see Thai people, I will speak."

The tomboy defended herself and her partner's actions (albeit childishly) by asking if the woman would yell at farang kissing, and the couple eventually exited the train when a ladyboy started chiming in and agreeing that the couple was wrong for their PDA.

Man, what a great set-up for a very Thai culture-specific comedy sketch: A tom, a dee, a ladyboy and a morally outraged woman walk into the BTS...

But anyway, I digress. While it is true that PDAs can be uncomfortable for onlookers in any country, what bothers me so much about this incident goes back to the aforementioned Hypocrites that roam free picking and choosing where to wave their decency flag.

If Thailand really wants to be the good Buddhist country that it pretends to be, why don't these Hypocrites take a stand against the obvious aberrations of red light districts, porn being openly sold in the streets, happy-ending massage parlours, brothels, go-go bars, and all the smutty things that have given us a reputation for cheap thrills?

Adding to the Hypocrites, the chairman of the Bangkok Mass Transit System offered his personal opinion by saying he thought public displays of affection (PDAs) are inappropriate in Thai society. The BTS operator also said that any couple involved in an "intensive PDA" would be asked by security guards to leave the train. They also announced an official hotline (02-617-6000) for passengers to report kissing.

Gee whiz, should they really be weighing in here? This couple wasn't hurting anyone, and I've seen far grosser things on the skytrain such as girls popping their boyfriend's zits, and people using oil blotters to get sweat off their partner's face (not to mention throwing the used oil blotter on the floor… cringe).

And while I'm sure the BTS security guards will be happy to have more to do than just blowing their whistles, what about instances when it is necessary to hold on to someone on the train? For example, I sometimes have to tightly hug the person I'm with (or a stranger if I'm alone) when the BTS makes sharp, winding turns because passengers are too busy leaning on the poles and being inconsiderate for me to hold on to anything. Does that mean my display of human interaction will make me subject to such criticism?

Plus, I think skytrain operators have more pressing things to deal with. Perhaps they can use the hotline to instead take my complaints about why only one person seems to be working at the ticket booth at any given time, causing a long queue to form, when there are five other employees standing around and not doing anything?

Hugging, kissing and much more happens outside the carriages of the skytrain and beyond, and it doesn't mean we ignore it just because it may take place behind closed doors. So where are these self-proclaimed good, ethical people voicing their concerns and taking action when they are needed?

Well, it seems they're busy yelling at easy targets on the BTS for behaviour that may be awkward to see, but is innocent nonetheless. Hypocrites much?