Manspreading incident leads to punch-up on the Taipei Metro
A man was taken to hospital to receive stitches to his head after an altercation over leg space led to a fight on an MRT train this morning, July 18.
At around 8:00am, two men boarded a train at Yongning Station on the MRT Blue line, and took seats beside each other. As the train headed toward Taipei City, Mr Shi, 53, became irritated by 42-year-old Mr Zeng’s “domineering, wide-open legs” (ET Today) pushing up against his thighs and taking up his own leg space.
Shi then spread his own legs and pushed back. The two men pushed against each other, then stood up and swore at each other. Punches were thrown, and Shi grabbed Zeng in a headlock with his left arm, then punched him in the head with his right, splitting Zeng’s scalp.
Frightened passengers used the emergency phone to call for assistance, and MRT police boarded the train at the next station. Conveniently for Mr Zeng, the station happened to be Far Eastern Hospital Station, and officers took him to Far Eastern Memorial Hospital for treatment.
Shi was taken to the police station to explain the incident. Shi told police that he had felt that his rights as a passenger had been infringed, and while he admitted to having punched and injured Zeng, Zeng had also thrown punches.
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Shi pushed back
Sources: ET Today, Liberty Times Network. Cover picture: Madrid Municipal Transport Company (Creative Commons Licence.)
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