http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,196301,00.html
MRT EMERGENCIES
Would you push the red button?
March 20, 2009
A TEENAGE boy lay writhing in pain on the train floor as a man rained punches on him.
An alleged con man managed to board a train just in time to escape his pursuers, who work for a money changer.
In both cases, which took place within the last two weeks, the culprits got away. And both incidents occurred in full view of other commuters.
In the boy's case, no one came to his aid.
An SMRT spokesman said passengers who are harassed or assaulted should press the emergency communication button next to the train door
So why didn't anyone sound the alarm?
In a street poll of 100 commuters, The New Paper asked: Do you know where the emergency button is located?
An overwhelming 87 per cent said yes.
We then asked: Would you press the button if you see someone suffering a health emergency onboard the train? About the same number said they would. It was the 'obvious' thing to do, said the majority.
The reaction was markedly different when we asked: Would you hit the button if the emergency involved violence or some element of danger?
Fewer than half of those interviewed said they would activate the emergency button.
And only about half (51per cent) said they would hit the button to report suspicious characters.
Why the reluctance to help?
The reason: Fear.
Fear of getting into trouble for hitting the button over what may later be judged to be a non-emergency, and fear for their own personal safety.
Is the first 'fear' justified?
An SMRT spokesman said most of the incidents reported by commuters were mainly medical emergencies (fainting, seizures, falls, passengers or items trapped between doors) and incidents that involved suspicious objects being left unattended in trains.
Student Samantha Lim, 18, said: 'I wouldn't press the button because it's like I'm intervening and I might get into trouble myself.'
Polytechnic student Lim Xin Hua, 18, agreed.
'What if someone or myself ends up in danger?' she said. 'I don't want to take such risks.'
Most of the respondents pointed out that it would be hard to say who is a suspicious character.
Ms Regina Pak, 35, a property agent, said: 'He might look suspicious but not actually leave anything behind.'
She was referring to the videos that SMRT plays at stations to educate commuters on how to look out for potential terrorists.
Housewife Goh Lee Khim, 48, said: 'I wouldn't be able to tell if someone is a suspicious character.
'So, I probably wouldn't press the button as I don't want to be fined for misusing it.'
Under the Rapid Transit System regulations, passengers who misuse either the communication button or the emergency stop plunger can be fined up to $5,000.
The spokesman said: 'Both... should be activated only in emergency or life-threatening circumstances.
'Improper use of such emergency equipment will cause unnecessary delays to train service and inconvenience fellow passengers.'
By Joanna Hor Peixin, newsroom intern. Additional reporting by Audrey Tan, Bernice Huang, Darren Foong, Geraldine Yeo, Han Su-Ying, Michelle Tay and Pearly Tan
