Way to kick someone while they’re down.
A student experienced her worst commuting experience last March 15 while she was riding the train and some netizens were quick to blame her about what happened.
Twitter user @allanamarieco shared about how while she was entering the MRT-3 Taft Station, her laptop got crushed by the bag scanner. The gadget was inside her bag and she made sure to lay it flat but a passenger behind her forcefully shoved his bag inside, causing hers to be pushed virtually upright through the small scanner.
Last Wednesday, March 15, 2023, I had my worst commuter experience at MRT 3 Taft Station. pic.twitter.com/OPQvRLKuNl
— ALLANA (@allanamarieco) March 19, 2023
“I saw [this] right away and panicked, by this time my bag was already inside so I rushed to the other side to get it but it already got stuck inside the scanner,” Allana wrote on Twitter, adding that the security guards just watched her struggle to reach for her bag.
As the conveyor started moving, she heard a loud crack and went to check if her laptop was okay. Unfortunately, the device got bent with the screen shattered.
They just watched and reacted offensively as I was panicking in front of them. We all heard a loud crack, and then the conveyor started moving again. I immediately checked if my laptop was ok, only to see that it had been bent, and the screen got horribly shattered. pic.twitter.com/vgr4gdzLzu
— ALLANA (@allanamarieco) March 19, 2023
“Tiningnan lang ako ng guards at iba pang tao while I was having a panic attack. Tinalikuran ako ng guards, and announced on their megaphone, ‘Ilagay niyo po nang maayos yung bag niyo para di kayo matulad kay ate dito (referring to me).'”
Can’t even describe how bad I felt when I heard them say that. Kita sa video na ‘to na nakatalikod lang sila sakin, all three of them. Kahit konting sympathy man lang sana would’ve been fine. But no, they didn’t care even for a while. I felt so bad for myself. pic.twitter.com/e3oLhSoHNE
— ALLANA (@allanamarieco) March 19, 2023
Netizens started reacting to the incident, with some showing concern for Allana while others gave some unsolicited advice about how she could’ve avoided the situation.
“I’m sorry but it was all your fault. Charge it to experience. Just an expensive experience,” one user said.
Allana said that her 1-year-old laptop was a birthday gift from her OFW father who she only sees once or twice a year. She always makes sure she handles it with care as it’s “very sentimental” to her.
“Seems weird na nabali in half yung laptop if it is in the bag,” another added.
“This is very sad but sa North Station kasi may nakalagay na or sinasabi ng mga guards na ilagay dun sa yellow na box ang bag if may gadgets etc. Nilagay niyo po ba dun?” one user tweeted.
Despite those comments, an overwhelming amount of people empathized with Allana and shared their own struggles riding the MRT-3.
Grabe yung mga guards. As in wala man lang ka-thoughtfulness sa katawan. Mga walang paki eh, ang bastos ng ganun. For sure, ayaw nila ma-blame kaya tumalikod na lang sila.
— altaire_zen (@AltaireZen) March 20, 2023
i dont think the security guards that @dotrmrt3 hires were trained enough to be “security”. They’re more of an inconvenience rather than helpful. Cause of delay dahil sa pag “inspect” daw when they’ll just have you open your bags without them even looking at it.
— 희망의 소녀 ⁷ 🌙☀ (@aytenlouise) March 20, 2023
Now this is my issue since I began to use MRT again as my mode of transport. Sobrang liit ng scanner! 😩😩 With the huge volume of passengers and the size of the bags they carry, dapat kahit mas malaki sana or dalawa sila. This is not okay for a place like MRT. ❌❌ pic.twitter.com/6xNeJoXIip
— Kev Janabon (@KevsJanabon) March 20, 2023
When someone goes through a rough experience like this, they might not want to hear advice about how it could be avoided. Instead, it may be better to empathize with them and help them take action after the fact.
As of writing, the Department of Transportation and MRT-3 have yet to address or issue a statement about the matter. Allana has also filed a complaint about the guards’ lack of urgency and concern before the agencies.
photos from: @allanamarieco on Twitter
