Priority Seat
They say I have no respect for the elderly. And they are so right.
Digital print with original signature
This illustration is not based on a real-life interaction, but given my short temper, the growing entitlement of seniors and our shared reliance on public transportation, the statistic possibility of this coming true one day is not zero.
Though if or when this happens, I wouldn’t lead with “I am a priority” or self-care type one-liners because my generation already gets a lot of flak for putting ourselves first. I think the old man would try to knock me out of the seat with his cane when he hears that. But I will be definitely screaming that in my head. Sir, you’re going to die soon! A seat’s not going to help! Let this poor young girl on her first, painful day of her period rest for a few stops because she still has to go to work so she could pay for your retirement with her taxpayer money, you dumb geriatric fuck!
Original line art
I was inspired to make this drawing after one of my many, many arguments with my mother where she accuses me of not having respect for my elders for not capitulating to her beliefs immediately. Back in her day, as she likes to say, you do NOT ever talk back to your parents or grandparents. You also don’t try to reason with them because that counts as talking back.
To which I said something along the lines of, nah, fuck that shit, that’s dumb, I will happily push your wheelchair down the stairs if you abuse me while I’m taking care of you. Your bones will be brittle as hell then, so I wouldn’t try that if I were you. Snap snap snap on every step, hahahahaha. Which made her friend, also a boomer, who happened to be sitting beside her, choke on her fruit. Don’t worry, she didn’t die.
In case reading this shocked you or made you apoplectic with rage, let me explain to you now - and I’m only doing this once, so pay attention - I have demented dialogue with my mother all the time. We have a very unconventional relationship that I can’t be bothered to defend anymore. I would rather you just exit from this website thinking that I am the Worst Person Ever and never interact with my work again then ask me Why Do You Think It’s Ok To Talk To Mommy Dearest Like That. In fact, when I showed her this drawing, she laughed and said it is quite well done and that she agrees rude old people don’t deserve the seat if they are going to be so rude.
Of course, she wasn’t always like this. Years ago, she might have had a different opinion or asked why I made such a drawing. We had raging fights throughout my childhood and adolescence in which she tried and failed to instil in me a Pavlovian sense of fear and reverence of my elders by virtue of them just being elders. It only took 15 years before she gave up and now I can make art like this and talk to her in such a way that makes her wrinkly old friends choke and splutter while she barely reacts anymore.
As for how I treat other old people in general - I treat them just fine. I even like some of them. I will give up my seat for them as long as I see that they are in need of one and I feel like being nice.
But they are not getting any praise, worship, respect, grace or extra privileges just because of how many more times they’ve been around the sun, and their age certainly will not save them from the not-zero possibility of me punching the lights out of them if they are ever stupid enough to go apeshit on me on the MRT.
