Bus Captain's Grivences - Eat Well & Meal Time

(article From the Strait Times)

                                                                                                                            

The way we maintain our bodies, is our statement about the way we live our lives.

 “Bus captains face specific challenges from the long hours they put in up to 10 hours a day, six days a week – which lead to fatigue, poor hydration and backaches”…said Senior Minister of State for Health and Manpower Dr. Amy Khor

Also in the same report…”Bus drivers are getting free health checks and tips on how to eat right…”

Meal time is considered not working hour and it is deducted from the overall hours of Sign-on and Sign-off. Meal time is also not included in any OT computation.  Meal time is a mere average of 22mins per day; it is actually been paid by the Company as allowance. On the average, I will get around S$100/- per month for meal allowance (xie xie gong xi).

If you would to read the entire inserted news reported inserted here in this blog. As a 3^rd party person, you the reader, will certainly do not know that, my average meal time is (Guess??)

22mins. 

In fact, I service about 9 hours per shift with a mere total of 42mins of combined rest and meal time.   Good deal?

Tips on how to eat right, as reported above, to me is an “end” thing; and it is not “the process” thing that is more critical to my overall health wellbeing.

No matter how, nourishing and well-balanced is the food to be eaten; I actually do not have the optimum  eating  condition to process, to extract, those, essence from what been recommended to eat lah.

Many a time, I will just sallow my food. In the process of swallowing the food; I took in a lot of air. After the meal, I felt very lousy with a bloated tummy. Sooner, I have to out-gas frequently while driving.(sorry lah).

(Well i hope Singaporean serving their two years National Service, will be at least delighted they have a proper standard meal time that is regularly and strictly enforce)

Because of the lack of chewing process for the food in the mouth (lack of surface area over volume ratio); the digestion process in my stomach is laborious and is slowed down; I will be pretty sleepy to drive for long distant; so prior to my next trip; I will go to the coin vending machine to get a cup of coffee for me to take along with me inside the bus. During red-traffic-light stoppage time, I will quickly take a sip or two.

Lastly, I am sincerely grateful to Minister of State Dr. Amy Khor for her deep understanding on our plight as Bus Captain and I hope, she and her fellow MP Ang Wei Neng (VP, SBS Transit); can help us to speak up on this reasonable minimum meal time to be mandated for all Bus Captains soon.

Thank You.