Mexico City UN Women against Violation
An installation piece on the Mexico City subway protesting the sexual violence committed against female passengers. The piece was installed by UN Women to “generate empathy from men, based on what women live with daily in the [Mexican] public transport,” and definitely shed light on the issue - provoking much online debate.
Public transport would be a good forum to spark conversations and initiatives around breaking down social barriers, because of the volume and diversity of the people encountering the space. The video is hosted on various sites and has 100,367 views, on youtube alone, to date.
Statistics NZ Wellington Commuting Data
These stats suggest commuters travelling to the CBD using public transport is a huge target audience, proving trains, buses, stations and stops to be an opportune place to promote an initiative for a more friendly Wellington.
Means of Transport
Where People Commute from/how many
Wellington work place density
Quote from S. Turkle on Cellphone usage
Turkle, Sherry. “The Inner History of Devices.” The MIT Press, 2008, pp. 48.
This quote sums up modern societies
view on interactions with strangers – attempts to communicate with
strangers are unwelcome and warded off by the use of devices and
looking busy. People actively avoid interactions, going to great
lengths of even faking calls.
Speculations why
- It is easier to talk to someone you know than someone you don't because you have common ground. I.e. you know the same people, share a career path, have history/shared experiences to reflect on, the same hobbies etc.
- We like our comfort zones and talking to strangers are outside of that.
- We have been brought up with the notion of stranger danger. For previous generations the world was, seemingly at least, a safer place. Was this because they didn't have the internet showing the horrific things happening? Or was it in fact safer?
- The art of conversation is dying? With social media, texting, instant messenging people don't pick up the phone and call each other as often. We are always on the go and to actually sit down and have a conversation means not doing the myriad of other things we need to do.
- Language is changing. A sentence can be said with a quick abbreviation, this makes more sense written then said, although people so incorporate these into spoken sentences.
- We don't have as much practice with human interaction because of our dependancy to interface with people through devices. We don't need intonation or facial expression so it is less effort to communicate this way.
- The job market is flooded with employees. We are all vieing for few job spots which means we have to go over and above the limit of what is expected to impress the boss.
- New Zealand wage to living cost ratio is out of whack and increasingly more so because of the housing crisis. We have to work overtime to afford rent/mortgage payments. This means we are more tired and grumpy, have less time for things we want to do and don't have the energy for plesantries.
- The high density of population would make pleasantries on the street extremely tedious. Imagine smiling and greeting everyone who walked passed you in the CDB, it would be exhausting.
- Anxiety in crowds. Music helps to soothe the anxiety and looking at a screen helps to not be looking at a see of people essentially trapping you on the train.
- Overcrowded transport meaning people have to stand, starting the day on a sour note. Standing on transport is draining physically, it means you can't read or use your phone easily and you feel like you are in peoples way because you normally are.
Commuting images
Kindness to strangers Initiatives
Kindness.org Findings
What does kindness involve?
Stats
13 ways to happiness preview
Important to note the final one is be kind
Ben's Bells Initiative
Started by a mother who lost her child, she was inspired by the kindness and support of people through this difficult time. She created Ben's Bells in honour of her son and this kindness. They have people volunteer and collaborate to make these bells, then they hung around the community for people to take home as a reminder to spread kindness. People have responded very positively to the movement and share their stories.
They also create large scale mosaic murals, and provide kindness education programs to schools, businesses, prisons and neighbourhoods.
Oxford study into effectiveness of kindness on well-being
Pay it forward is a concept that someone does a good deed for you, then you do a good deed for three other people, as illustrated in the diagram. It's a kindness concept to make a difference in the world even though you are just one person, by spreading kindness to three others you multiply the number of people involved until the whole city/country/world is involved and performing acts of kindness on a daily basis.
The web link lists 60 selfless acts one could perform in such a situation. They have a mixture of free and monetary ways to give to people.
There are several other initiative websites listed on here also:
The final suggestion:
60. When someone wants to repay you for something, ask them to pay it forward.
Singapore Initiative for seating
http://www.sgcarmart.com/news/article.php?AID=13956
An initiative to solve the issues of elderly, pregnant and disabled people having to stand or ask for seats by having priority boarding.
This campaign gave the commuters a chance to design their own characters and vote for their favourites. prizes are offered as incentives to participate in the campaign.
Putting up a poster for awareness is all well and good but obviously it hasn't made a differences, offering prizes means people will take more notice, but will it be enough to change their behaviour?
These video's are hilariously bad and have been mocked and parodied, where they intentionally bad to make people talk about them? or were they to teach children bus/train etiquette, because children remember things better in a song.
Kindness.org Findings
Why be kind?
They have a few projects to inspire kindness and well-being:
- 365 Acts of Kindness - ideas and stories of acts of kindness to inspire you
- Our Acts of Kindness - stories of different donations and campaigns they started
- 15 days of Gratitude - Reminding us to be thankful for the little things
- 13 Resolutions to a happier you - their version of the 5 ways to well-being
365 acts of kindness preview
Our acts of kindness preview
Gratitude preview
13 ways to happiness preview
Important to note the final one is be kind
Started by a mother who lost her child, she was inspired by the kindness and support of people through this difficult time. She created Ben's Bells in honour of her son and this kindness. They have people volunteer and collaborate to make these bells, then they hung around the community for people to take home as a reminder to spread kindness. People have responded very positively to the movement and share their stories.
They also create large scale mosaic murals, and provide kindness education programs to schools, businesses, prisons and neighbourhoods.
Oxford study into effectiveness of kindness on well-being
Image: https://img.haikudeck.com/mi/BA295DE1-807D-4124-B6AF-0D1C446CC920.jpg
The web link lists 60 selfless acts one could perform in such a situation. They have a mixture of free and monetary ways to give to people.
There are several other initiative websites listed on here also:
The final suggestion:
60. When someone wants to repay you for something, ask them to pay it forward.
Commuting By Car or Public Transport
Why do we drive over catching public transport?
This survey says Wellingtonians have the lowest car commuting percentage at 48% due to the geography of the region and high funding being poured into upgrading the public transport system.
Commuting Satisfaction survey
This survey says Wellingtonians are 88% satisfied with our public transport system, pertaining to trains. They are about to implement the same changes to bus services.
NZ overall life satisfaction
New Zealand is ranked the fifth highest nation in the world for life satisfaction, how can we improve on that?
Bugbears Campaign
New Zealand Bus Better campaign I saw a few years ago on the commute to university. It seems to be targeted at children with the use of the "care" bears, it is kind of clever and keeps the issue from containing human and racial stereotyping.
There are 9 bears Block the way Ray, Littering Lenny, Feet up Freddy, Big bag Barney, Muchin' Marvin, Gossipy Gabby, In your space Jase, Rock out Ralph, and Pongy Pete
None of these characters address the issue of giving up your seat for elderly, injured or pregnant people.
Video campaigning for cheaper London train fares
Nothing to do with our issue but a cool little idea, drawing out the images.
Singapore Initiative for seating
An initiative to solve the issues of elderly, pregnant and disabled people having to stand or ask for seats by having priority boarding.
Singapore Initiative for thoughtfulness
This campaign gave the commuters a chance to design their own characters and vote for their favourites. prizes are offered as incentives to participate in the campaign.
Putting up a poster for awareness is all well and good but obviously it hasn't made a differences, offering prizes means people will take more notice, but will it be enough to change their behaviour?
These video's are hilariously bad and have been mocked and parodied, where they intentionally bad to make people talk about them? or were they to teach children bus/train etiquette, because children remember things better in a song.
Singapore Avoiding Priority Seats
Priority seating would not solve the issues of etiquette if people continue to occupy these seats when they are able bodied.
http://www.thelivingguru.com/mrt-fight-over-seat-the-battle-of-older-auntie-vs-young-girl/
It seems that a witness said to a local Chinese daily had said that the fight started when the old lady boarded the train at Outram Park station with her foot in a bandage. The girl, who was seated at the priority seat, had not noticed and did not give it up to the woman. The woman then uttered words of disapproval towards the girl, which got the girl’s attention who then gave up her seat for the old lady.
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