“Why didn’t the station staff stop him?” – Man pushing Mustafa trolley on board MRT earns brickbats

SINGAPORE: A photograph of a man pushing a shopping cart from Mustafa Centre on board an MRT train has sparked outrage online and concerns over how the man managed to bring the trolley on board the train without being stopped by station staff.

The picture was posted on the “Complaint Singapore” Facebook page by a netizen named Mohd Dean on Friday (18 Aug). The netizen alleged that the man pushing the cart was a foreigner as he said that the man should have been more considerate of shoppers who need the cart instead of using it to ferry his purchases home.

There are strict rules in most malls, including Mustafa Centre, that shopping carts should not be removed from the premises. The unidentified shopper’s act has sparked questions as to whether taking the shopping cart home could be categorized as stealing.

The incident also raised questions about the oversight of MRT station staff. Several netizens questioned how the man managed to bring the large shopping cart onto the MRT train being stopped by station staff.

Facebook user Willy Tan said, “MRT guard should not allow it if not others will follow it,” while Harry Tan said that the man should not have been able to get through the gantry.

Netizen Loh Wai Poon asserted that SMRT should have restricted the man from entering the platform as the trolley is not private property. Another Facebook user asked, “How come they managed to get through the gate without being stopped? What if a terrorist just pushes through an explosive. MRT must wake up!”