Donate

The human spirit doesn’t mind the gap

Commuters in Japan show the way when rescuing a woman trapped underneath a train.

Saira Khan

Topics Politics

Want to read spiked ad-free? Become a spiked supporter.

After a woman slipped into the gap between the train and the platform at Minami-Urawa station in northern Tokyo, tens of commuters gathered together to tilt the train and free her. The communal effort, the spontaneous determination to help someone in need – it was stirring stuff. What’s more, station officials had the sense, and showed the leadership, to encourage everyone to join in.

The woman was successfully freed, with no major injuries, to a round of applause. The train then continued on its course – after an only eight-minute delay.

Saira Khan is a student at the University of Oxford.

Comments

Want to join the conversation?

Only spiked supporters and patrons, who donate regularly to us, can comment on our articles.

Join today