An MRT passenger was shocked to hear an uncle scolding a woman who coughed.
Although it is understandable to be extra cautious against the spread of Covid-19, there is a better way to handle such situations than taking it out on a stranger.
TikTok user Nigel Koh uploaded a video on Sunday, noting the incident happened on the MRT headed to Ang Mo Kio at around 12:45 pm.
@coachnigel Sometimes i just choked myself , also cannot cough meh? WTH!?#singaporetiktok #singaporeguys #malaysia #mrt #covid
“Uncle, you are so vulgar and paranoid!” said Mr Koh in the video caption. He wondered if people were not allowed to cough now.
The video starts with the uncle already shouting at the woman beside him.
“Don’t be on the train… you’re spreading the disease to everyone,” said the man at the woman who was wearing a mask.
The woman tried explaining that she had a mask on to no avail as the man had a comeback.
“You wear a mask, but you’re coughing. Spreading…” says the man before the video cuts off.
According to the original poster, the woman coughed twice, “and the old man just screamed at her… poor mommy”.
“She only cough a bit after talking to her daughter. It is just like a sudden choke…” he added.
Netizens noted that one could not control a cough as it is a reflex action. “Take it easy; people cough on occasion for various reasons,” said a TikTok user.
“If u worried, just walk away. I have dry throat; I cough easily. I try not to cough in public transport, but it’s difficult to hold back my cough,” explained TikTok user @lenngg.
Mr Koh added that he choked once on the train. “I am so scared to cough. The auntie beside me look at me as if, ‘walao, please keep away from me.'” /TISG
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