SEOUL: Social media has been abuzz over a man who jammed an umbrella into closing subway doors in an attempt to board the train, according to online communities Saturday (May 9).
A recent video posted on Threads showing a man pushing a long umbrella into the closing doors of a subway train at Seolleung Station on Seoul Subway Line No. 2 went viral, drawing widespread criticism online.
The person who filmed and uploaded the video said the man appeared to be trying to force the doors back open so he could quickly board the train.
The train doors opened again a minute later, but quickly closed, preventing the man from boarding. After seeing the platform screen doors close as well, the man removed the umbrella and walked away from the platform area.
Online users slammed the man’s behaviour while applauding the train operator’s swift response.
“If the train gets delayed, it affects all the other passengers. It’s incredibly selfish. What if someone got hurt or trapped inside the train?” one user wrote.
Another comment reads: “If the operator reopened the doors, other people would start doing the same thing, and eventually no one would be able to board trains on time. For passenger safety, these kinds of attempts to force one’s way onto the train should be stopped.”
Improper behaviour while boarding trains has accounted for a significant portion of subway safety accidents.
According to Seoul Metro, 956 of the 2,387 subway accidents reported over the past five years, or about 40 per cent, were related to train doors. - The Korea Herald/ANN
