Taipei police yesterday arrested an elderly woman causing an disturbance at a convenience store, as she is wanted on shoplifting offenses, and identified her as in the “Taipei Metro flying kick incident” video, which has gone viral online in recent days.
The woman, surnamed Tseng (曾), 73, was taken to Taipei’s Datong Police Precinct to record a statement, then escorted to the Taipei Shilin District Prosecutors’ Office for questioning, as she was found to have several shoplifting convictions, including an outstanding warrant for her failure to serve a 55-day jail sentence.
The widely circulated video, recorded on a Taipei Metro train on Monday, showed an altercation over priority seating, in which a young man kicked an elderly woman, causing her to fall into a seat behind her, while other passengers looked on.
Screen grab from Threads
The woman, carrying tote bags and an umbrella, was identified by police as Tseng, who was formerly an anthropology researcher at Academia Sinica, while the young man was identified by netizens as a recent National Taiwan University graduate surnamed Chang (張).
The video was widely circulated among local media, prompting commentary on proper etiquette when taking public transport and reviving the public debate over priority seating, before going viral on social media on international platforms.
The video showed Tseng approaching Chang, sitting in the priority seating in dark blue, asking him to get up, so she could sit there. After Chang refused to move, Tseng used her tote bag to hit him on the knee and calf several times.
Chang responded by kicking Tseng, causing her to fall backward and land in an empty seat.
Most netizens posted messages to support the young man, saying it was “a kick of justice,” adding that on the Taipei Metro, anyone with injuries, illness or other needs can sit in the priority seat, which was originally intended for pregnant woman, elderly people, or those with mobility issues or encumbered with luggage.
Some added that the woman was the aggressor in hitting first, and self-defense was justified.
Some people chided the young man for kicking an elderly person, as any serious injuries would get him in trouble and he would have to pay the medical bill.
Taipei Metro officials in a statement said that they would investigate the incident over potential contraventions of Article 87 of the Social Order Maintenance Act (社會秩序維護法), which carries a maximum fine of NT$18,000.
Other netizens described Tseng as a repeat offender who had allegedly forced young women, including those who are pregnant, to get out of the priority seat so she could sit, using her umbrella to tap people on the head.
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