A man riding on a subway train in Fukuoka pushed the emergency stop button after another passenger, who wasn’t wearing a face mask, coughed, the Fukuoka Municipal Transportation Bureau revealed Thursday.
According to the bureau, the incident occurred at around 8 p.m. Tuesday between Tenjin-minami and Hashimoto stations on the Nanakuma Line, Sankei Shimbun reported. Officials said the two men were seated next to each other when one of them coughed. The other man got angry at him and pushed the emergency button.
Both passengers were taken off the train at the next station, Befu Station. The man who pushed the emergency button said the passenger who coughed could have spread a virus and that he should have been wearing a mask.
The train was delayed for several minutes while the stationmaster tried to calm the two men down.
An official from the transportation bureau said that people are on edge over the coronavirus and urged passengers on trains to wear masks and practice proper hygiene and etiquette when coughing or sneezing, but advised them not to press the emergency button over such incidents.
© Japan Today
45 Comments
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savethegaijin
From other sources, the coughing man said he couldn't purchase a mask as the stores were all out.
Fear, panic... we are animals after all.
Thunderbird2
Paranoia taking hold
Toasted Heretic
Panic, fear and ignorance will do for us, not the virus.
Still, it generates plenty of clicks and site traffic, eh.
Alex Einz
savethegaijin the conveni sold out excuse is fake as.. amazon has tons of masks
TigersTokyoDome
If I understand this correctly you can get taken off a train for not wearing a mask.?! Together with the lunatic who pressed the emergency alarm?
Tokyo-Engr
The problem with the man’s reaction is that pushing the button puts him in greater danger as the train stops and he is exposed to the potential hazard for a longer duration. Really illogical response
savethegaijin
@Alex Einz
Just checked Japanese Amazon... the cheapest paper masks are around 2000 yen for 50 masks. That's a brand that is usually about 400 yen for the same amount. Other's are 10,000-20,000 yen a box, most have been purchased and are being resold at insane prices... for a paper mask... that only has a marginal anti-viral value.
A man coughed without a mask - you think that's worthy of activating a train's emergency braking system? Insanity.
Do the hustle
This is what happens when the population are educated by the media and don’t really have any ideas that are there own.
darknuts
The mask industry is booming. Now would be a great time to invest.
RubensT
I also couldnt buy masks, so next time I ride the train Im gonna cough too, just for the lols.
blahblah222
I spent over 300,000 yen buying up N-95 masks in the past few days and they cost 1000-1500 yen each now.
For normal working people, it is not possible to get masks, even the normal paper ones.
Bugle Boy of Company B
I don’t understand why the man who coughed was asked to exit the train.
Open Minded
Why the guy without a mask was taken off the train?
As far as it is reported he did not break any train rules or laws.
Alex Einz
yea he should have been taken to hospital for testing
savethegaijin
Now we're supposed to quarantine and test everyone who coughs???
You are aware we're at the height of cold and flu season, right?
Also, hay fever season has just started. Hell, lets shut down the whole country, someone coughed somewhere.
rgcivilian1
An official from the transportation bureau urged masks, practice proper hygiene and etiquette when coughing or sneezing, but advised them not to press the emergency button over such incidents.
Ok and not to fear and panic, but who will pay for my life if infected with coronavirus because some idiot blasted away or coughed with the virus and I end up with it? Will this official pay with their life in place of mine. NO they won't nor anyone else so sorry not acceptable if one is trying to save their own and possibly everyone else's. Given that there is no cure or vaccine against this virus and based on its quick ability to spread, yes it is mot legitimate to press the button to get out of that train. Obviously the person who exposed everyone else will not pay for the loss of anyone's life yet willingly spreads it out. Poor planning in blaming "no mask to buy" on his part and inexcusable. Should have stayed indoors or sought another means of transportation.
kohakuebisu
The man who pressed the button should get the usual fine for abusing the emergency button.
You cannot let the public be judge and jury on health matters.
AustPaul
What a clown.
Mirai Hayashi
The ignorance...the government and the media should do a better job of educating people
didou
Either you are a rich man or have or your family a critical health issue
I only spent 500 yens on masks, which is just a reserve in case of necessity.
The chance to get the virus is still very very low at that time, and is rather a question of bad luck As for the mask in the train as the article refers well I am not convinced the train is really a place with high risk as many do wear a mask.
Bars , restaurants are much more risky, nobody wear a mask and after a few drinks, nobody pay attention to his behavior, etc...
umbrella
Ridiculous overreacting. The sheeple just don't think for themselves here in japan.
I will never wear a stupid useless ineffective mask. Besides which the eyes are open to the virus anyway. It's just mental. The virus is mild, even if you do catch it, for most people. I have no worries. More concerned about ordinary flu.
Patricia Yarrow
Just carry a towel or hankie to cough into, like has worked for centuries. Screw those white face doilies.
TigersTokyoDome
Forget masks. You need to wash your hands and gargle. You can pick up viruses in your hair and on your clothes.
3RENSHO
Both passengers on the Fukuoka subway train were sitting in seats reserved for those whom are elderly, infirm, pregnant...
Ike-in-Tokyo-from-89
Who was that unmasked man?
Dr. Theopolis
The “I couldn’t buy any masks” excuse doesn’t hold water. My local pharmacy stocks them mostly every morning.
But you got to get up early, around 8am and stand in line to get them. Store opens at 9am. I paid 1000yen for a box of 65 masks .
If you go there at 10am, of course they’ll be sold out.
All it takes is a little effort to get your arse out of bed and wait in line, something that the dude claiming he had no masks wasn’t bothered to do.
nandakandamanda
Sitting in a restaurant on Wednesday and the guy at the next table starts sneezing and coughing with a deep-lung rattly mucous rasp. No attempt to keep the noise down or 'mask' it in any way. I don't care if it's a cold or flu or whatever, but some people should not be out in public like that.
Without a graphic description of the train passenger's cough, it is hard to judge how justified the other fellow was. My daughter leaps to her feet and changes seats in any situation like that, and at the next stop moves next door.
John McCartney
Eventually the mass media irresponsibly and unnecessarily spreading panic over this cold virus is going to get someone killed. Pushing the emergency button on a train is a very serious matter and can have unexpected results.
DaDude
I know I shouldn't but this story had me laughing hard at the ridiculousness.
Jimizo
From what I’ve read about assaults, abuse and vandalism around the world towards Asian people, it isn’t just the Japanese.
juminRhee
If masks are required, then the govt, or company requiring, should provide
Reese
Underrated comment of the day.
I've never read so many comments that borderline on hysterics.
justasking
@TigersTokyoDome, gargling to prevent colds is an old Japanese myth. It is never conclusively and scientifically proven.
warispeace
When logic and proportion
Have fallen sloppy dead
And the White Knight is talking backwards
And the Red Queen's off with her head
Remember what the Dormouse said
Mask your head
Mask your head
So let's think about the hysteria of the button pusher...
Hee is worried when there is still only a slight chance of meeting someone infected among the millions of people in Tokyo, and then not everyone develops symptoms and only 5% of cases are critical and less than 2% of mainly those with weaker immune systems sadly pass away. This is roughly equal to dying from a head injury after stumbling and falling when someone panics and pushes the train emergency stop button.
MeanRingo
I think the problem with the Japanese not wearing masks is that they've never been taught to cover their mouths while coughing. The girls can manage it when they laugh, but for some odd reason, nobody ever covers for coughs. At least that has been my experience.
fillmore2
people not wearing masks in Japan, do you live in Japan? did you ever visit Japan? um, before this virus people in Japan had masks on all the time, there were many article why Japanese were wearing masks indepth /insightful coverages.
Do you know why some people in Japan are not wearing masks? because they can not find any........ masks anywhere in Japan
, the Chinese bought everything up for quick profit, this is happening in Korea, Japan, and U.S. I don't know about Canada but my friends in U.S can not find n95 masks anywhere, yes, you can buy it amazon if you pay 10x for it.
check out Korean news youtube where many chinese get caught trying to take 40,000 from Inchoen airport
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wNg0jQgN9s
fillmore2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crFsKu8sgUM
The Chinese bought all the masks in Korea and send/took it back to China for quick profit. I just posted link on Korean New Youtube above. This happening in Japan, Korea and in U.S.
I really don't like to point out one country but it seems like whenever some disasters happen, Chinese are there not to help,but to profit every time, it's really disappointing,
They cause this virus and it's all over the world now,and now, they are doing this type unhuman practice.
I don't know, this is their culture, is it learned or is it born into their DNA, i have no idea.
I guess SARS didn't teach them any lessons, still eating anything that moves , very sad , very disappointing.
theFu
Japanese have an unrealistic fear of germs (and cancer). Don't they realize that wearing a mask is really only done in east Asia AND mostly as a fashion accessory/virtue signal?
I.e. worthless.
I've never seen anyone in public wearing a mask in the USA or Europe or Africa (avoid Ebola areas), or anywhere in Central or South America, except when fire smoke was so thick that airports needed to be closed.
But people will believe in whatever snake oil someone sells that makes crazy claims.
B. Jay
A lot of Japanese folks do have bad etiquette when it comes to çoughing and sneezing in public. They just blast it right on your face without covering their mouths. Its horribly awful in this era of corona virus. Having said that, this does not necessitate activating the emergency brake system on a subway. I guess the two of them were taken off the train for arguing but not because the guy was not wearing a mask.
fillmore2
Too many generalizations with just one example is stereotyping. Wow one person coughed without covering up, Japanese people have bad etiquette.
Luddite
The media and online idiots are feeding the paranoia, the government has a duty to launch a public health campaign to educate the public about this virus and cross infection in general.
I don't wear a mask, will I be refused entry to public transport? Shops? I wash my hands though, and cover up my mouth and nose with a disposable tissue when I cough and sneeze.
You are more likely to catch flu than the coronavirus.
fillmore2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNVGM_Sjy_w
one of you said, you get masks in the morning at 8am, can you name the ....store? what are you talking about? you probably bought it month ago.
there are hundreds of youtubers going all over stores in Japan, day and night trying to find some masks and hand sanitizers with no luck.
also buy it in amazon, yes, if you pay 10x for it.
most of the stores in U.S is now putting limits on how many masks you can buy per visit which Japan and other countries should of done by all the Chinese hoarders came and took everything off the shelf.
luckily, Costco Japan put limits on mask purchase and Japanese residents were able to buy few boxes for their families.