Straphangers, unite

HAVE you ever wondered why MRT grab handles are swingy, instead of fixed?

It's a question that has plagued me ever since I grew tall enough to grab one - a most anti-climactic experience, as I recall. For years, I had been looking forward to reaching that hallowed height. To my puerile mind, my cool factor would be instantly upped by my sheer ability to hang, Ah Meng-like, from an overhead MRT handle.

But when I finally hit that milestone, I realised those grips weren't all they were cracked up to be. Apart from the fact that they felt pretty grimy - and sometimes slimy - I quickly learnt that those handles did nothing to raise my cool quotient. Alas, they actually made me look infinitely more stupid.