SMRT staff do a great job in keeping our public train stations running smoothly. They also have other responsibilities that include maintaining the general conduct of commuters in and outside the station.
However, as with any job, it can get stressful. Unfortunately, for this SMRT staff member, his overreaction to a skater’s antics has seen him relieved of his duties.
In a video shared on the @sgfollowsall Instagram page, a skater appeared to be attempting a trick at Esplanade MRT. However, before he could set off, he was shoved by an SMRT staff.
As seen in the video, the skater, dressed in orange, was preparing to attempt a jump off the steps at Esplanade MRT. As the skater approached the top of the stairs, a man in red came rushing from towards him and tackled him, causing him to fall.
The skater was shoved so hard that he fell off his scooter. The scene was also witnessed by security personnel who stood at the foot of the staircase.
According to a comment left on the accompanying video, the skater in question had allegedly known that he was wrong for skating in the area.
However, he proceeded to do so anyway. He then mentioned that he and the SMRT staff got into a small argument before they left the scene.
In the midst of the speculation, SMRT took to Facebook to clarify the details of the incident.
According to the Facebook post, the incident occurred on Friday (20 Aug) morning at Esplanade MRT station.
The staff had allegedly warned the skater that his actions are not permitted within the station premises to protect the safety of commuters.
However, the skater did not heed his warnings and continued skating towards the staircase. As other commuters were also using the staircase, the SMRT staff decided to physically stop the skater in his tracks.
SMRT then went on to say that a report has been lodged and they are assisting the Public Transport Security Command (TransCom) with investigations.
They also added that the SMRT staff that was filmed in the video has been suspended from duties.
SMRT’s decision to suspend the staff from his duties is a polarising one.
While he obviously went overboard with his reactions, one can argue that he was only doing his job.
Hopefully, investigations towards this case bear fruit, and SMRT can provide an update. We would hate to see the staff suspended indefinitely and hope he can resume his duties sooner rather than later.
As for the skater, we hope he didn’t suffer any serious injuries from the impact and will make sure to skate in more suitable places next time.
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Featured image adapted from @sgfollowsall on Instagram.
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