Armless man in China denied free metro ride without disability pass, calls for more ‘humanised’ rules
- Man forgets travel document, argues proof not needed, staff say it is rule
- He calls for better treatment of disabled people, metro company apologises
Railway station staff in China who asked an armless man to prove that he was disabled in order to travel for free have sparked a wave of anger on mainland social media.
Li Fengqiang, posted a video of his experience at the entrance of a metro station in Wuhan, central China’s Hubei province, on his Douyin account on March 21.
A member of staff told him he needed to show his government-issued disability pass in order to travel for free on public transport.
Li had forgotten his document and argued he did not need to show proof, but was told by staff that they had to act according to the rules, then offered to pay for Li’s ticket.
Li turned down the offer and bought his own ticket.
Wuhan Metro apologised within 24 hours, saying the staff member had been inconsiderate and promised to protect disabled people’s right to barrier-free travel in future.
