Fast and furious: PMA user charges at MRT staff at Bugis station

It was over in eight seconds.

Seated in a motorised wheelchair, an elderly man charged and kicked at a male station staff, not stopping until he had him up against a wall.

Then, the man slipped from his seat and fell to the ground with an audible thump.

An eight-second clip of the incident, shared by Facebook user Steve Goh, has been making its rounds on social media since Dec 14.

The incident was said to have taken place at Bugis station.

After the clip went viral online, numerous netizens have stepped out to shed some light on the personal mobility aid (PMA) user.

The elderly man, who sells tissue paper in the area, has been dubbed 'Bugis uncle' by netizens.

It is said that the incident happened because the train station staff had stopped him from hawking his wares in the station's vicinity.

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After viewing the clip, netizens' reactions were divided — the majority of them said that it was wrong for the wheelchair user to attack the station staff while others empathised with the elderly man, saying, "It's not easy for an old person to make a living".

Several netizens were also concerned about the elderly man's condition after his fall.

But it appears that this is not the first time the PMA user has been seen behaving aggressively towards others.

According to a Facebook user, the elderly man is a troublemaker who once tried to hit a bus door with a walking stick because the driver did not see him.

Others said they've seen him shouting at people at the train station.

The 'Bugis uncle' is also known to ask for $10 from donors, another Facebook user added.

In response to AsiaOne's queries, SMRT said that the incident took place at Bugis MRT station on Nov 21.

"Our station staff advised an elderly PMA user that the selling of items is not permitted within the station premises. An altercation subsequently occurred between the PMA user and our staff," said SMRT Corporation's chief communications officer Margaret Teo.

A police report was made after the altercation and SMRT is assisting with investigations.

"We would like to emphasise that any physical or verbal abuse against public transport staff will be reported to the authorities. We are committed to provide a safe environment for both our commuters and our staff," Ms Teo added.

lamminlee@asiaone.com