"Empty Subway Seats Are for My Luggage"…Netizens Outraged at Inconsiderate Woman

Woman Places Luggage on Empty Subway Seat During Rush Hour
Other Passengers Forced to Stand
Reporting via Subway App or 112 Can Lead to Penalties

During the busy rush hour with a large flow of people, a story about a woman blocking empty subway seats with her luggage to prevent other passengers from sitting has sparked controversy.

During the busy rush hour with heavy foot traffic, a woman is blocking an empty seat with her belongings to prevent others from sitting there.
[Photo by Online Community]

On the 13th, a post titled "Luggage occupying empty seats during rush hour" was uploaded on an online community. The author, Mr. A, criticized, "During the crowded rush hour on the subway, a female passenger blocked the empty seats with her travel bags, preventing others from sitting."

In the photo posted by Mr. A, two travel bags, believed to belong to the female passenger, occupy the empty seats. In front of them, a citizen is standing because they cannot sit. Judging by the several passengers standing behind this person, it can be inferred that the subway was packed with commuters heading home.

During the busy rush hour with heavy foot traffic, a woman is blocking an empty seat with her belongings to prevent others from sitting there.
[Photo by Online Community]

Mr. A continued, "When people pointed it out, she calmly stared at her phone," and criticized, "She should place her bags in front of her so that other passengers can sit."

Netizens who saw the story responded negatively, saying, "This is truly selfish behavior," "If you have a lot of luggage, you should either stand in a corner or move your luggage to the overhead rack," "If it were me, I would have moved the bags and sat down, but I guess the passengers on the same train were kind," "If it’s inconvenient to move, you should have taken a taxi," and "It seems like citizens’ awareness is getting worse."

'Inconsiderate passengers' placing luggage on empty seats... How to report

A passenger placing their luggage on an empty subway seat to prevent other passengers from sitting there.
[Photo by Online Community]

Meanwhile, this is not the first time someone has drawn criticism for placing luggage on adjacent seats despite other passengers standing while using public transportation. Earlier on the 7th, a story surfaced about a female passenger who placed her bag on the adjacent seat in a fully packed subway, preventing other passengers from sitting, which drew heavy criticism. Photos released at the time showed two women asleep with their luggage on empty seats among people standing because they couldn’t sit.

In December last year, at Jamsil Intercity Transfer Center, a passenger on an intercity bus heading to Gyeonggi Province caused a commotion by placing a lot of luggage on the adjacent seat and arguing with the driver and other passengers. The passenger shouted, "Don’t touch my belongings because they’re mine."

There is no law prohibiting placing luggage on empty subway seats. However, if someone continuously engages in inconsiderate behavior or fails to correct it despite being pointed out, it can be reported through the emergency phone system in the subway station or the app "Ttota Subway." When a report is received, the station or transportation authority immediately dispatches subway security personnel nearby to escort the passenger to the subway police station.

However, crimes such as "sexual offenses" on the train are more serious than other inconsiderate behaviors, so it is faster to report directly to the police rather than through the app or station. Station staff, security personnel, or police officers who respond can immediately request the offending passenger to leave, and if the request is refused, it is considered a criminal act and punishable.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.