Woman in salwar kameez tries to squeeze past closing doors on Singapore train, internet says ‘Incredible India’
A woman was filmed trying to board a train in Singapore as the doors were already closing. Her act sparked backlash online.
A woman was filmed trying to board a train in Singapore as the doors were already closing. Dressed in a salwar kameez with a dupatta around her neck, the woman used her walking stick to hold the doors open so she could board the train.

She was assisted in her efforts by two men – one inside the train and one outside – who pried the doors open so she could board. The incident has sparked backlash online after footage emerged on Reddit on January 30.
Watch the video below:
Filmed at Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay MRT station, the video shows the woman squeezing past the doors as they were already closing. A person inside the train, noticing her walking stick wedged between the train’s two automatic doors, used his hands to prise them open, allowing the woman to board.
Another man standing outside also helped the woman by holding the doors open.
Backlash online
Singapore’s MRT is a highly automated system, with many lines running driverless trains. These trains have strict safety protocols, and forcing the doors open can interfere with their operation. If the doors fail to close properly, the train may not be able to depart, causing a delay across the entire system.
With this in mind, it is easy to understand why the video generated the kind of outrage it did.
“Somebody needs to tell these people this is not New York’s old lousy subway where you force your way into the train… frequency comes 2-5mins a train why the rush? if the whole train breaks down due to their actions won’t these people and the rest of the commuters have to wait even longer?” asked one person on Instagram, where the video has gone viral.
“Can SMRT just install spikes on the inside of train doors?” another wondered.
Even though the woman’s nationality could not be ascertained from the short clip, people looked at her attire and concluded that she was Indian.
“This is Singapore. Kindly don’t treat it like India. Respect the rules of the country,” read one comment. Another simply said “Incredible India.”
“Probably that’s how they do it back in India. Since they are here in swarms we will have to just live with it. I mean who are we to know what's better for Singapore than PAP. So just listen, accept and move on and don’t create problems,” a disgruntled commenter on Reddit wrote.
ABOUT THE AUTHORSanya JainSanya Jain is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times Digital. She has nearly a decade of experience in covering offbeat stories that speak to the everyday experience -- from viral videos to human interest copies that spark a conversation. Her interests stretch across business, pop culture, social media trends, entertainment and global affairs. Before joining Hindustan Times, Sanya spent two years with Moneycontrol and five years with NDTV. She holds an undergraduate degree in English literature from St Stephen’s College, Delhi, and a master’s in journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai. Sanya has a sharp eye for spotting emerging trends and finding newsworthy angles in viral content. She writes about a wide range of topics, from business leaders and social issues to everyday people and internet trends. She enjoys speaking to content creators, newsmakers and entrepreneurs and turning their experiences and stories into engaging, relatable articles.Read More

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