Wailing act
Riding the train can sometimes reflect the economic status of a commuter. If a commuter jumps over the turnstile to avoid paying the fare, the individual may be broke.
But netizens who saw a viral Threads video of a male commuter crawling under a ticket barrier at Fortress Hill MTR station in Hong Kong had mixed reactions. The uploader’s narrative was that he was getting out after having jumped onto the platform, The Standard (TS) reported.
Commenters, however, doubted the unverifiable double-crossing claim, speculating that the man was either dodging the fare or pulling a prank for attention.
One netizen commented that transit staff had looked into the matter and discovered the man had actually paid his fare but had mistakenly used the wrong digital QR code, causing the gate to lock and preventing him from getting onto the platform, according to TS.
The video uploader disputed that observation, saying the commuter should have sought assistance from station staff at the customer service counter rather than crawled under the barrier.
Meanwhile, in New York City, a man recognized as a former “American Idol” contestant was performing with a guitar aboard a subway train on 4 November.
The video of Shane Dan Turner, 31, went viral not so much because an “American Idol” contestant was busking on the train between 125th Street and Columbus Circle, but because of what happened while he was at it.
The clip showed a woman passenger complaining about the music and pleading with the other straphangers to tell Turner to stop singing because she had just had ear surgery and her ears were too sensitive, the New York Post (NYP) reported.
When Turner, who competed on Season 23 of “Idol” last year, played and sang “I Don’t Love You” by My Chemical Romance, the woman argued with him, grabbed his tips and wailed loudly to drown him out.
By the end of the clip, which was uploaded by one of the passengers, other straphangers were applauding Turner and giving him more tips.
Turner later reposted the clip on his Instagram, explaining what happened and thanking the commuters for defending and supporting him, the NYP reported. He also wished the woman who complained would get the help she needed.