Japanese commuters stepped up to help when a fellow passenger faced considerable danger.

Trains are a wonderful transportation commodity, especially in Japan, where they are so timely and convenient that rail companies apologize when their trains leave 20 seconds early. But trains can be dangerous, too. Between getting your head stuck under a seat, getting caught in the doors in a mad dash to get inside, or even standing next to train windows that randomly shatter, you never know when danger might strike on a train.

One safety rule regarding trains that should always be taken seriously is staying behind the yellow line on the train platform, because falling onto the tracks could have deadly consequences.

Luckily, when one individual at a station in Kyoto fell off the platform, their fellow commuters jumped to action to help prevent them from meeting an untimely end. In fact, so impactful were their actions that officials at JR Nijou Station posted a sign thanking commuters for their assistance.

“Thank You

On February 18, 2019, at about 6:15 p.m., a customer fell onto the tracks from the platform.

When that happened, other customers who were nearby pushed the Emergency Button and waved at the oncoming train to stop. Because of that, the train was able to stop immediately, and did not come into contact with the fallen customer, who remained unscathed. Thank you very much.

We’d also like to thank the individuals who helped provide first aid to the fallen customer.
We’d like to ask for your continued cooperation in pushing the Emergency Button in situations where a train must stop suddenly.

Nijo Station Master”

The individual who fell was lucky to have so many quick-thinking commuters looking out for them. If they hadn’t acted so quickly, the train driver may never have been able to stop in time, resulting in a gruesome incident that would not soon be forgotten by any who witnessed it.

The station’s message of thanks from the station gained attention on Twitter when a photo of the sign was initially shared by Twitter user Ke-ko (@neokeynish), and was quickly retweeted tens of thousands of times over the course of a day, until Ke-ko decided to make their account private.

Ke-ko’s tweet included the following text:

“This was posted at the JR Nijo station, but I’ve never seen a courtesy poster like this before. Lately all that people seem to like to talk about are bad train manners and crimes, so this kind of wonderful news about anonymous people helping avoid the worst kind of outcome is something that would have never made the news.”

The tweet sparked praise from Japanese netizens for the quick and compassionate actions of the commuters who came to the rescue:

“In times of emergency, we have to try not to be scared or embarrassed, and just push the emergency stop button. Even when the trans are delayed, we have to think about if we were in that position, and try not to get irritated.”
“I think this kind of thing is important. Announce it! Work to create cooperative relationships. No matter how long the trains are delayed, everyone should work together.”
“That’s a nice story. That’s not something that can be done easily.”
“This is the kind of Japan I want to see!”

Indeed, it can be hard to think quickly enough to act in time in a dangerous situation, so the actions of the people at JR Nijo Station on February 18 should be commended, just like in 2013 when JR customers in Tokyo worked together to save a customer trapped under a train. And, even if it doesn’t happen where you are, it’s something to keep in mind when a train is delayed and causes commuter chaos; someone’s life could be on the line, and perhaps people are working to save it. When you think of it that way, it makes a little delay seem insignificant in comparison.

Source: Twitter/@neokeynish via Twipple Trend
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert images: Pakutaso (1, 2)
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