A train passenger called on her fellow commuters to be considerate after her laptop got damaged when it passed through the security x-ray scanner.
On Wednesday night, college student Allana Columbres had her “worst commuter experience” at MRT-3 Taft Station in Pasay City
Last Wednesday, March 15, 2023, I had my worst commuter experience at MRT 3 Taft Station. pic.twitter.com/OPQvRLKuNl
— ALLANA (@allanamarieco) March 19, 2023
Allana shared that a man behind her forcefully pushed his bag inside the x-ray scanner which caused her backpack to be pushed vertically upright.
“I saw right away and panicked, by this time my bag was already inside so I rushed to the other side to get it but it already got stuck inside the scanner,” Allana said.
“The guards just watched, no emergency protocol whatsoever. They just watched as I struggled to reach for my bag,” she added.
Upon opening her bag to check her laptop, Allana learned that her device was bent and “horribly shattered.”
Allana also lamented how the guard reacted after the laptop damage.
“They [guards] just watched and reacted offensively as I was panicking in front of them. We all heard a loud crack, and then the conveyor started moving again,” Allana said.
“Tiningnan lang ako ng guards at iba pang mga tao while I was having a panic attack. Tinalikuran ako ng guards, and announced on their megaphone ‘Ilagay niyo po nang maayos yung bag niyo para di kayo matulad kay ate dito (referring to me),'” she narrated.
She also said that there were no baskets available at the MRT-3 Taft Station where she could have placed her laptop.
MRT-3 told Interaksyon that a complaint has already been forwarded to the concerned MRT-3 unit and division. It said that it would release an official statement after the full investigation into the incident.
Meanwhile, Allana said that she did not get a chance to confront the person behind her about the incident.
She is hopeful that her experience would serve as a reminder for fellow commuters to be mindful of others’ belongings.
“To other commuters, please be mindful of how you put your bags in the scanner. I understand that many of us are in a rush but please be considerate of other people and their belongings. You don’t know how important it may be to them,” she said.
Allana said that her laptop was only bought last year. She shared that it was a birthday present from his Overseas Filipino Worker dad.
“This laptop is very sentimental to me kaya ingat na ingat ako dito—only for it to be destroyed because of an inconsiderate person,” she said.
