‘You go to India!’: Elderly commuter berates pair on MRT while hurling Hokkien vulgarity
An elderly commuter lashed out at a couple on the MRT, telling them to “go to India” and repeatedly hurling a Hokkien vulgarity at them, before being asked to sit down by train staff.
A video of the incident was uploaded on Instagram page @sgfollowsall on Aug 29, showing an elderly commuter pointing aggressively toward a woman while on the train between Ubi and Kaki Bukit station.
“You are not Chinese,” he says, jabbing a finger at her before mumbling something unintelligible. He then loudly declares: “You go to India!”
He swears at her in Hokkien while turning around, as a man who appears to be in an SBS Transit uniform approaches him.
The staff member gestures for him to sit down, while a male commuter who was standing beside the woman shouts: “She is from Vietnam.”
Unrelenting, the elderly commuter retaliates: “Go to India. Don’t come here.”
He kicks over a bag at his feet and sits down on one of the priority seats, as the staff member picks up the bag and places it back at the commuter’s feet.
The staff member appears to check on the woman and her travel companion as the video ends.
In the post’s caption, the eyewitness said that the pair “did not do anything to provoke the uncle in any way”, but the latter had “randomly approached” the commuters with a barrage of insults.
Netizens disapprove of commuter’s behaviour
The post amassed 48,900 views within an hour, as many netizens frowned upon the elderly commuter’s behaviour.
“Don’t shame our country with this kind of attitude,” a user commented, while several urged onlookers to call the police.
Another said that society’s “state of mind is deteriorating”.
Some commended the staff member who stepped in, such as one commenter who chimed in: “Kudos to the uncle who calmed the situation.”
“A lot of people nowadays stress,” another mused.
Stomp has reached out to SBS Transit and the police for more information.
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