Everyone knows that Singaporeans love to play mahjong. However, these Hong Kong residents may be coming for our crown with this public display.
Last October, a video of five men playing mahjong on the MTR – Hong Kong’s version of our MRT – went viral. And yes, they brought their own table along too.
The group was recently fined a total of S$870 (HK$5,000) for various offences, including causing a nuisance in a public place.
While many found their antics amusing, it’s clear that authorities thought they crossed a line.
On 13 Oct last year, five men boarded the MTR at Hong Kong’s Mong Kok station during the evening rush hour.
We can only imagine how stunned passengers must’ve been when the group suddenly set up a folding table and started playing mahjong in the middle of the train cabin.
In the 13-second clip, four of the men stood on the four sides of the table, locked into their game of mahjong. Curious passengers filmed them as they arranged their tiles.
According to The Standard, the group played until the train stopped at Choi Hung station, a whole 6 stations away. According to Navitime, the whole journey would have only taken 12 minutes, hardly enough time to complete a single round of mahjong.
They then packed up their things and alighted. Police arrested the five men in the following month for causing a nuisance in public.
Source: Film Services Office Hong Kong
On Monday (11 Apr), The Standard reported that the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Court sentenced the quintet to fines totalling S$870 (HK$5,000).
This includes S$436 (HK$2,500) for committing an act of nuisance in a public place. Four of them, aged 20 to 24, were also each fined S$87 (HK$500) for boarding the train by paying an elderly fare. A 27-year-old was fined the same amount for bringing the mahjong table.
One of the offenders clarified that they only pretended to play mahjong to film a funny video, but the prosecution argued that by doing so, they blocked others from using the seats nearest to the mahjong table.
MTR rules state that passengers can only carry items with total dimensions that do not exceed 170cm. South China Morning Post reports that the mahjong table measured 242cm in length, width and height combined, so it definitely surpassed the limit.
For us watching the video, these mahjong enthusiasts’ antics were simply an amusing sight.
However, it no doubt caused a disruption to the other passengers who simply wanted a space to rest while travelling home from a long day of work.
We’re glad the authorities stepped up to take action, which will hopefully deter others from engaging in such inconsiderate behaviour, especially if it’s just for social media.
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Featured image adapted from The Standard on YouTube.
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