An altercation involving a 73-year-old woman and a younger person broke out on a Taipei MRT train last week, with videos of the incident going viral online, sparking wide discussions about the controversial priority seats and social norms.
In the video, the elderly woman, surnamed Tseng (曾), approached a passenger in a priority seat and demanded that she get up, and after she refused, she swung her bag, hitting her on the knees and calves several times. In return, the commuter asked a nearby passenger to hold her bag, stood up and kicked Tseng, causing her to fall backward and land in an empty seat on the other side of the carriage.
Taipei Rapid Transit Corp said neither party pressed charges related to the incident, but Tseng was arrested outside a convenience store the next day after a disturbance inside. Local media reported that Tseng had previously been arrested and convicted for shoplifting, sentenced in June to 55 days in prison, but failed to report to prison, so a warrant was issued for her arrest.
Tseng was described as a “repeat offender” who had allegedly forced younger women, including pregnant women, to get out of priority seats so she could sit.
The Taipei Police Department’s Rapid Transit Division summoned both people following the altercation, and they could each face a fine of up to NT$18,000.
People have expressed a variety of opinions on the incident, with some supporting the young woman and calling it a “kick of justice,” saying that she was only acting in self-defense, while some criticized her use of violence against an elderly person, who could have been seriously injured.
Others said that it is not about generational conflict or lack of compassion, but about how people are used to enduring mild harassments to preserve harmony, with many cheering for the younger passenger because she took action to stop a repeat offender who often bullies young women just because she believes they would more likely bend under harassment.
With altercations over priority seats on public transportation occurring for years, the Legislative Yuan in July passed amendments to change the term from “courtesy seats” (博愛座) to “priority seats” (優先席), to highlight inclusion — urging passengers to not only yield the seats to the elderly, the disabled, pregnant women and children, but to anyone in need.
However, the case last week showed that changing the name has not changed some people’s long-held views. With the proportions of elderly people in the population continuing to grow, confrontations might continue if some elderly citizens believe their age makes them more worthy of the priority seats.
There have been suggestions that the government explicitly list the order of priority for sitting in the seats to avoid confusion. Another approach might be to change the MRT priority seats to the same color as the others, softening the rigid lines that highlight differences over inclusiveness.
The long-term solutions obviously include cultivating understanding, respect and consideration for others, regardless of gender or age differences, while people should also be encouraged to take legal action, instead of vigilante justice, against harassment and threats to their personal safety, which should all be emphasized at home and in education from a young age.
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