SINGAPORE: A passenger claimed an older woman on a personal mobility device (PMD) on the train was just pretending to be disabled and, more than that, hindered those who wanted to enter or alight from the MRT.
A Facebook user posted a video of the woman on the Complaint Singapore group page on Oct 28 (Monday), which has been widely seen and commented on.
The post author accused the woman of “can walk till” she has “calluses on her feet,” yet wants to pretend to be disabled.
The woman was also said to have allegedly rushed into the train carriage before others could descend and then wanted to “hog” the space in front of the door, preventing others from easily entering or alighting.
Moreover, the post author added that when the woman wanted to get off the train, she even rang the bell on the PMD to get others out of the way so she could speed to the lift.
In obvious exasperation, she asked “whose boomer relative” the woman is and asked for her to be claimed by them.
She also added a remark saying she assumes the woman’s parents are already gone from the earth, as this would presumably explain the woman’s “mannerless behaviour.”
The post and its author’s frank caption did not go over well with some netizens, who found themselves defending the woman.
One told her that some elderly folks do not use PMDs because they’re unable to walk long distances and not because they’re unable to stand up.
The commenter called her out for “stealthily” taking a video of the woman’s face, calling this unethical.
“You should rather take pictures of those high-speed GRAB riders all day who are using PMA and monopolising the pedestrian lane,” the netizen added.
Another said it was uncalled for the post author to mention the woman’s parents in her caption.
Unrepentant, she answered by writing, “I’m already going down; I might as well take the speedier highway.”
One chimed in to say that the PMD the woman used had been issued by a hospital, which means she “legit has health issues that give her the vehicle.”
She also added it was better for the woman to ring her bell rather than bump into people.
Others appealed to the post author to let the woman be and not judge her harshly, with some even saying the post author should help such elderly people when they can.
The Independent Singapore has contacted the post author for further updates or comments. /TISG