Mixed reactions arise online after another man is caught eating on board MRT

SINGAPORE: A video of a man eating openly on the MRT has sparked heated debate among netizens after it was circulated online.

Clips posted on social media by Singapore Incidents show the man, dressed in a blue shirt and jeans, sitting inside a train carriage with a suitcase between his feet and a backpack on his lap. Balancing a bowl of cooked food on top of the backpack, he ate casually as if no one else was around. The entire scene was filmed by a fellow passenger standing in front of him.

In the footage, a train announcement can also be heard: “Next stop, Bugis. You can transfer to the Downtown Line at the next stop.”

The video has since garnered more than 1,200 likes and over 500 comments on Facebook.

Many viewers were quick to criticise the man’s actions. One netizen wrote: “What if the food falls on the ground? Who will clean up the mess?” Others said it reflected poor social etiquette, especially in a shared public space like the MRT.

However, not all responses were negative. Some felt the incident could have been resolved without the video being uploaded. “Look at his suitcase. He’s probably not a local. You can just tell him he can’t eat on the subway. No need to take a video and share it,” one user commented. Another suggested the man might simply have been too hungry to wait until he left the train.

Under Singapore’s public transport regulations, eating and drinking are strictly prohibited on the MRT, with offenders facing a fine of up to S$500.

The latest incident comes just weeks after a separate case earlier this month, when a man was reprimanded by SMRT and investigated by police for being caught on camera openly drinking water at an MRT station.