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Man Who’s Caught Force-Opening MRT Doors Charged; Had Also Kicked Someone Before

2023-12-09 , 9:03 am

Remember the viral videos of the person in a black top and pink skirt trying to force open the doors of a moving MRT train?

Here’s an update.

The man has been charged in court.

Charged with Two Counts of Being a Public Nuisance

47-year-old Vanessa Wang Zi Qi appeared in a district court on 7 December.

Although videos of the train incident showed him dressed in a black top and pink skirt, court documents identified Wang as male.

He was charged with two counts of being a public nuisance and one count of assault.

He has also been ordered to be remanded at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) for medical examination.

Wang’s case has been adjourned to 21 December.

The Incident

On 27 November, Wang allegedly caused a big hoo-ha by pulling open the doors of a train carriage at Braddell station.

He was accused of committing a similar offence two days later at Ang Mo Kio MRT station.

Wang allegedly annoyed MRT passengers by shouting and pulling open the doors of a train carriage.

Apparently, he also kicked a man’s leg at the station that day.

Viral Videos

Wang’s actions went viral after videos of the incidents began circulating online.

In the videos, a passenger can be seen trying to push open the sliding doors of a moving train along the North-South Line.

Other commuters can be heard shouting at the passenger to stop.

SMRT President Lam Sheau Kai told The Straits Times that the SMRT staff were alerted to the second, more dangerous incident at Ang Mo Kio MRT station on 29 November at around 1 pm.

According to him, the passenger was uncooperative and turned aggressive when SMRT staff entered the train to investigate the situation.

Besides videos, photos of the incident began circulating as well.

The photos depicted the passenger lying down on the platform of Ang Mo Kio MRT station.

In the photos, the passenger is in a curled-up foetal position and is surrounded by Public Transport Security Command officers and station staff.

Mr Lam noted that such actions endanger the individual and put surrounding passengers at risk.

Reason Behind His Actions

So, why did Wang commit such bizarre actions?

The answer is darker than you think.

Lianhe Zaobao reported that Wang intended to jump from the train in an attempt to commit suicide.

Passengers initially thought he was merely impatient and urged him to get off at the next stop.

However, he replied, “I want to jump out of the carriage. I want to die.”

In a previous interview with Shin Min Daily News, Wang said he identified as a woman.

Wang explained that his umbrella and hand were caught between the train doors previously.

He said, “When I tried to open the door at the time, I realised it was quite easy to do so. So I wanted to test whether the door can be easily opened while moving.”

Wang also claimed to suffer from dissociative identity disorder, mania and autism.

The commuter is apparently undergoing treatment at IMH.

Those convicted of causing a public nuisance may face a jail term of up to three months, a fine of up to $2,000, or both.

Similar Incident

With the rise in prominence of social media, it isn’t uncommon for videos of bizarre behaviour on public transport to circulate.

In August 2022, a video of a teenager bullying an older man on an MRT train went viral.

19-year-old Erza Jeet Singh allegedly bullied the older man into calling himself a coward.

The video showed the older man giving in to Singh’s demands.

The older man turned to the other passengers in the train carriage, raised his hands and said, “I’m a coward.”

Singh was charged on 13 August 2022 with one count of committing a public nuisance.