Netizen James Cubelo shared two videos while on a Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) train with the doors left open as they traveled Manila on Thursday night (March 10).
At 6pm that day, he and his classmates were at Central/Arroceros Station waiting for the train heading to Baclaran. They noticed that the train had started moving slowly while the door in front of them was still open, so they called the security officer, who instead of signalling to the driver, told Cubelo and his friends to just hold on tight.
Was the guard serious or joking? “Seryoso siya pero wala na ring magawa,” Cubelo told as per reports. He likened the experience to an amusement park ride. “Ano to! Star City lang ang peg, ganun!”
Though shocked and nervous at first, the Fine Arts student made the best of the situation by borrowing his friend’s phone and making a video of his experience — starring him and his infectious laughter.
Cubelo, who leaves school this March, says he has been taking the same route the past four years but this is the first time that this has happened.
At the next stop on United Nations Avenue, there were more passengers and the train door still refused to close. “Syempre mas iba na ang Intensity level… Pero umandar parin ito ng nakabukas ang tren, ni walang nag stop, o tumawag sa driver, ganon.
“Tapos ang bilis pa ng takbo, at kung makikita nyo din, Mas delikado ngayon kasi yung mga nasa harap ng open door, as in konting galaw lang, may possibilities na mahulog. nakaka-hiya naman sa mga foreign students na nakasabay namin, naranasan pa nila to! So ayun, nagpatawa ulet ako para bawas stress, at takot. ganon. nag video ulet.”
The train door eventually started functioning properly again at the next stop, on Pedro Gil Street. “Duon nagkaroon ng testing sa door, sa wakas with help of God, nagsara ang naging kalmado na ang byahe namin hanggang EDSA station… bow!”
Though we offered to buy the rights to his second video, Cubelo declined. “Actually sir, mas prefer ko pong i-upload sa Facebook ko, kasi gusto kong personally ma reach ang Management ng LRT,” he told Coconuts Manila.
His takeaway? “Well, thanks God, buhay pa kami now at safe!!! HUY! KAYONG MGA STAFF SA LRT1, UMAYOS-AYOS KAYO HAH!”
LRMC statement
For its part, the Light Rail Manila Corp (LRMC) issued a public statement about the issue on Twitter.
According to the Tweet posted on Mar 11 at around 7am, LRMC “has a policy that no train with a door fault should leave the station or the depot”. (Good to know!)
They added that the issue is being “invesigated, addressed and corrected to ensure the safety of the passengers.”
Source: Coconuts Manila