Shanghai woman stops rush hour metro to find her lost phone

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A woman in Shanghai was fined 200 yuan (31 US dollars) after holding up a subway train for nine minutes during rush hour to find her stolen cell phone, Shanghai police announced Thursday.

The passenger, later identified by the surname Deng, was caught in videos circulating online, making a commotion Monday evening while taking subway Line 2, Chinanews reports. The metro line is one of Shanghai’s busiest commuting routes, connecting the city’s airports with the financial district and tourist sites.

The crowd waiting to board a busy Line 2 subway in Shanghai. /VCG Photo

After discovering that her phone was gone, Deng came to the conclusion that it had been stolen by someone taking the same train and decided to track down the thief.

When the train stopped at Guanglan Road, Deng blocked the open doors from closing and started questioning people in the vicinity for her phone. Metro security soon stepped in and asked her to move, but she refused to cooperate.

The passenger refused to move and forced the subway system to a stop. /Screenshot from thePaper.cn

Deng’s female friend got off the train and tried to persuade her also to step out, warning she might get arrested. “It’s okay if I get arrested,” Deng was seen shouting back in the video clips. “I’m the victim.”

“You are the victim? What about thousands of passengers who become victims because of you?” asked one of the security guards as he confronted her.

“I don’t care. Just get back my phone,” Deng insisted. The confrontation lasted for nine minutes until a female metro staff dragged her back into the carriage with help from others. Police were called in to investigate.

The incident halted the subway system for approximately nine minutes, according to a police report published later on Thursday. Deng was fined 200 yuan for violating public security laws. She did not end up finding her phone.