Imagine being caught in the middle of the ECP highway, right at the top of Benjamin Sheares Bridge with cars whizzing past.
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| PHOTO COURTESY OF VICTORIA VIOLET YEO | |
Sounds dangerous doesn’t it?
Well if not for Martin Ong, 36, the founder of First Automobile, an Indian couple from the UK would have been caught in that very uncomfortable situation.
While driving along the ECP highway one hot afternoon, Martin Ong, 36, noticed that a heavy jam had begun to build up. Just as he reached the top of the Benjamin Sheares Bridge, he realized that the cause of the jam was a broken-down taxi, by now parked along the shoulder with its hazard lights blinking. Ong also noticed the passengers of the taxi, an Indian couple, making the long trek down the expressway, looking a little lost.
Concerned for their safety, the modern-day good Samaritan stopped his car and offered to give them a lift. The couple gratefully accepted the ride and Ong sent them all the way back to the Parkroyal Hotel on Beach Road where they were staying.
The couple, tourists from the UK, was grateful to Ong for his act of kindness.
On why he would be willing to pick up two strangers and literally go the extra mile, Ong reveals, “I don’t go around giving rides to strangers,” he says with a laugh. “But lately, there’s been an emphasis in society on being community-minded and showing acts of kindness. If all of us can give a little help to the people around us, the world will be a better place.”
It is not every day that such acts of kindness occur on the streets of Singapore. While Ong’s act of kindness is a leading example of good deeds, it doesn’t take a big deed to make an individual a good Samaritan. All it takes is a little kindness and a little time from your day to do something nice for someone.
