SOMETHING odd seems to be going on in Singapore. Over the past few weeks, people have been engaging in some form of activity we can only describe as, well, "not leaving". Say if you took the day off to watch a Tamil movie premiere and they cancel the screening at the last minute, what do you do, leave? Heck, no. If your complimentary parking coupon at Lot One shopping centre doesn't work and 50 drivers are lined up behind you screaming abuse, what's the logical solution? Absolutely not leaving. And what do kidnappers tell you after they tie you up and toss you into the back seat of their getaway car? "Auntie, don't leave, ok?"

Then there's the latest incident with the Porsche-owning expat who thinks MRT commuters are poor and smelly - ah, we don't think he's leaving either.

In order to understand exactly what makes one stay when etiquette and public opinion suggest the opposite, we consulted an expert with decades of experience in both behavioural observation and public transportation: the uncle standing beside me on the East-West line on the way to Commonwealth.