A moment of kindness on the MRT: Commuter comforts distressed youth

A commuter stepped in to comfort a male youth who was seen screaming and hitting the walls of an MRT train carriage travelling along the North East Line (NEL).

Footage of the incident, which was shared on TikTok by user kongjie15_ on Wednesday (Nov 11), showed the youth holding a phone close to his face while letting out a high-pitched scream and repeatedly slamming his palm against the train carriage walls.

At one point, he suddenly stops screaming and walks away without saying a word. 

The video then cuts to another scene showing him standing near the train doors, screaming and repeatedly hitting the side of his head.

Other commuters appeared affected by the incident, with one woman covering her ears while another commuter shielded the ears of an elderly woman in a wheelchair.

As the train approached Hougang station, the youth continued screaming for about nine seconds before an elderly male commuter tapped him on the shoulder, seemingly in an attempt to calm him down. 

The youth responded with a whimper before the video ended.

The TikTok post has garnered more than 124,000 views and over 7,400 likes as at Friday afternoon.

Netizens praise commuter's kindness, call for greater understanding

"He is just overwhelmed. Just calm him down and calmly ask him or help him," one TikTok user wrote, adding that people should educate themselves to better understand those with special needs and how they see the world.

Another commenter speculated that the youth could be autistic, writing: "He is scared. He may have autism."

Another TikTok user said that greater exposure to online content and autism awareness had changed their outlook, adding that they now felt it was the duty of able-bodied people to assist those who might need help.

The commuter's actions also drew admiration, with one commenter writing: "I aspire to be as kind as the uncle."

Not all comments were serious, however. One user joked that the youth was "probably listening to some heavy metal music".

AsiaOne has reached out to kongjie15_ for more information.

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helmy.saat@asiaone.com