LRT1 apologizes for viral incident of passenger’s finger jammed in door

MANILA, Philippines – The management of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT1) apologized for the way its platform security personnel handled an incident involving a passenger whose finger was stuck between train doors.

“We sincerely apologize for the unfortunate incident that happened at LRT1 Monumento Station last August 23, 2023, involving a male passenger who was door pinned while boarding a Gen-1 train from the station platform and another passenger who pressed the emergency button inside the train,” the Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) said in a statement on Monday, September 4.

The incident first garnered attention through a Facebook post by netizen Mhina Fabre. Fabre said that after the passenger had his finger stuck in the door, another passenger quickly pressed the emergency button. 

Upon doing so, a guard approached the train and asked: “Sinong pumindot ng press button? Bumaba! Baba! (Who pressed the button? Get off! Get off!)”

Fabre said that the passengers explained what happened to the guard and captain onboard the train, but both seemed to dismiss the situation and reiterated that the emergency button should not have been pressed. The other passenger who pressed the button was also asked to leave the train to accomplish an incident report. 

“The sad part is, they don’t even bother to ask kung kumusta ‘yung naipit na daliri ng pasahero (the condition of the passenger’s finger),” Fabre said. “Para saan nga ba ang paggamit ng emergency button (What exactly is the use of the emergency button for)?”

The incident happened onboard a Gen-1 train, which does not have automatic door sensors.

In its statement, the LRMC clarified that the affected passenger was “immediately assisted by platform security personnel,” who offered to bring him to a clinic at Central Station, which the passenger declined. The minor right thumb injury was treated using first aid available at Monumento Station instead.

“The emergency button is used to alert the train driver, which will bring a train to an emergency stop if an extraordinary situation develops. It is part of regular protocols to assess the cause for door activation via emergency button before allowing the train to depart to ensure safety,” the LRMC said.

An investigation into the “isolated incident” is still ongoing, but the LRMC reiterated that it “does not tolerate disrespectful behavior in the team.” It also committed to conduct customer service training for its staff. – Rappler.com