Catherine 2Somewhat Disturbing
March 19th 2008 11:44
Two days ago I was walking toward a train station in an inner suburb of Melbourne as a somewhat disturbing scene unfolded before me.
There were 5 ticket inspectors and two cops and one small lady of Asian origins in handcuffs, crying. At first I looked around to see who else the police were aprehending but it was just this very scared looking woman.
I have a habit of asking strangers random questions when curiosity gets the better of me, so I asked a lady sitting down "What happened?" I was told she didn't have a ticket and she didn't have a passport. Aparently she is a student and they called the University but this observer couldn't hear much else.
Now granted all I saw was two cops and train officials physically restraining this person. And I understand that fare evasion is a problem and if there was no penalty for doing it there would be no money to keep public transport in operation. I also understand that it is the law that train officials have the right to detain people if they fail to produce proper identification.
What I do fail to understand is why a small seemingly powerless University student needed so many individuals to detain her for failing to have a valid ticket. All I kept thinking was that there must be more than meets the eye with this.
My train arrived before I could sticky beak any further , however, tongues were still wagging and I heard one of my fellow passengers speaking Hindi repeat the word passport several times and from the tone of what he was saying he sounded concerned. I too am concerned. Was this person outstaying her VISA? Or were the police taking precautions perhaps unnecessary? If nothing else the forceful removal of the woman seemed excessive to others at the station. I still cannot get the anguished look on her face out of my head. Even if she is a fare evader or evading something far more serious- I hope she is ok.
There were 5 ticket inspectors and two cops and one small lady of Asian origins in handcuffs, crying. At first I looked around to see who else the police were aprehending but it was just this very scared looking woman.
I have a habit of asking strangers random questions when curiosity gets the better of me, so I asked a lady sitting down "What happened?" I was told she didn't have a ticket and she didn't have a passport. Aparently she is a student and they called the University but this observer couldn't hear much else.
Now granted all I saw was two cops and train officials physically restraining this person. And I understand that fare evasion is a problem and if there was no penalty for doing it there would be no money to keep public transport in operation. I also understand that it is the law that train officials have the right to detain people if they fail to produce proper identification.
What I do fail to understand is why a small seemingly powerless University student needed so many individuals to detain her for failing to have a valid ticket. All I kept thinking was that there must be more than meets the eye with this.
My train arrived before I could sticky beak any further , however, tongues were still wagging and I heard one of my fellow passengers speaking Hindi repeat the word passport several times and from the tone of what he was saying he sounded concerned. I too am concerned. Was this person outstaying her VISA? Or were the police taking precautions perhaps unnecessary? If nothing else the forceful removal of the woman seemed excessive to others at the station. I still cannot get the anguished look on her face out of my head. Even if she is a fare evader or evading something far more serious- I hope she is ok.
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