Man in powered wheelchair riles netizens for 'making himself at home' on MRT
A video of a man in a powered wheelchair occupying a space in an MRT train has split opinions online - with some netizens slamming him as "inconsiderate" for treating the cabin like his own home, while others urged empathy.
The 21-second TikTok clip, posted by user tupperwaresg23 on Sept 4, shows the man reclining in his wheelchair with his feet raised to waist level, partially blocking the entrance. He appears to be looking at his phone as the train stops at Sembawang MRT Station (NS11).
The video's subtitle read: "04/09/2025 Very Inconsiderate Thinking That is Their Own Home On Train."
By press time, the clip had drawn 178,000 views, over 3,200 reactions and was shared more than 7,800 times.
While comments on the TikTok post were disabled, the video later surfaced on public Facebook group Complaint Singapore, where most of the comments criticised the man's actions.
"It feels inconsiderate because trains are a shared public space, not a private home. Everyone pays the fare and deserves a clean, comfortable ride," wrote one.
"Showing off what his machine can do lah…" remarked another.
Some comments even took a mean-spirited turn, with one person writing: "Hoping the train suddenly jam brake…" while another said: "Later jam I will laugh till my pants drop."
One even hoped for an MRT breakdown, adding: "When everyone gotta walk on track, let's see how his satki (fierce) wheelchair perform."
But not everyone agreed with the criticism.
One commenter suggested the man might have a hidden condition, while others questioned how comfortable the position was since his neck was not even resting against the headrest.
One Facebook user, whose spouse has a disability, said people should avoid jumping to conclusions.
"My husband is a PWD (person with disability). Lucky he is able to stand and walk in a short distance . But for those who's unable to walk or stand they have to do this if needed even in public place for proper blood circulation," she said.
"Some anyhow post on social media without knowing the condition of the PWD."
