Subway death: tragedy waiting to happen?
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Global Times, July 7, 2011
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[By Peter C. Espina/Global Times] |
The deadly incident on an escalator that suddenly became "alive" Wednesday at the Beijing Zoo Station on Subway Line 4 sounds like a terrifying combination of a weird X-File-style story meets horrifying Terminator sequel. People said the electric equipment "lost control" and that the subway "smelled of blood." Next thing you know doors will start munching on passengers.
The first photos of the incident published in QQ and Sina were brutal and bloody, making it easier to picture the nightmare people went through when they were commuting to school or work, or even worse, on their way to a day out at the Beijing Zoo. It is hard to imagine how a mere escalator malfunction caused the death of a 13-year-old boy and injured 30 people. Later reports suggested that a sudden change in direction which caused the escalator to start moving down instead of up was to blame.
Subway incidents are particularly horrifying. Much like every major capital city in the world, millions take the Beijing subway everyday and we all know how much of a nightmare rush hour can be. The smallest incident can easily inspire fear and panic when we picture crowds plunging underground, packed like sardines in a can, without possible escape. Add in the speed, the human stress and heat below, as well as the rise of uncivilized behavior in moments of fright and each subway train is like a cauldron waiting to explode at any minute. And I'm not even claustrophobic.
While Beijing MTR Corporation who operates Line 4 talked of equipment failure, overcrowding surely must have had something to do with the disaster. The pressure of people behind, unaware of the sudden escalator breakdown must have contributed to the crushing of the teenager and his father. The family were on their way to the zoo on a family day out and were standing near the bottom of the escalator when the accident occurred.
The crowds and stampede scenarios get scarier after an average subway rush broke a door on Line 5 last month. The utter aversion to waiting for the next train makes passengers think there's always room for one more, so they force the doors open and ride in the most ridiculous positions crushed against the windows. Rather than close off the damaged car, subway workers came up with a quick fix, covering the gaping door with a yellow curtain as the train remained in service. It might make those who stick to the doorways think again - moving into the middle and being squeezed, felt up and stared at might seem more of an appealing option.
Instead of operating bag inspection machines in their sleep, subway security would do better to inspect safety and organize the flow of people on the subway.
The government has demanded a probe into the accident but already pointed the finger at Otis Elevator Company, "the world's largest manufacturer and maintainer of people-moving products including elevators, escalators and moving walkways." Considering that more than half the world is riding on Otis and that China safety standards in manufacturing are far from exemplar, the company might get away with a notice; the Beijing MTR Corporation might get away with a penalty. That father won't get his son back and we'll all keep on riding on Otis.
Some days, Beijing really has a way of making one feel at the core of a concrete jungle whose latent rage might set off to apocalyptic proportions at any minute - if the machines turn against us too, we won't be rescued by any Agent Mulders or Schwarzeneggers coming to save us out of the dark mist underground.
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