Taipei, January 28, 2026
A new dispute involving priority seating on the Taipei Metro has sparked public backlash after a video circulated on social media showing a heated confrontation between passengers.
The clip, shared on Threads by a foreign student studying in Taiwan, shows an elderly male passenger questioning a young foreign woman for sitting in a priority seat. Although the man himself was already seated in a priority area, he appeared dissatisfied that the woman was sitting next to him.
In the video, the man insists that priority seats are reserved for pregnant passengers and repeatedly questions the woman in English, asking whether she is pregnant. The woman calmly responds that she had worked all day and was experiencing discomfort in her legs. Despite her explanation, the man raises his voice and demands that she provide medical documentation to prove her condition.
The short video, reportedly only around 15 seconds long, quickly went viral and drew widespread criticism from netizens. Many viewers condemned the man’s behavior as excessive and inappropriate, pointing out that priority seating is intended for people who need it, not only pregnant individuals, and that passengers are not required to justify their health conditions to others.
Online comments flooded in, with users expressing frustration over what they described as unnecessary policing of seats, sympathy for the young woman, and embarrassment over the incident being witnessed by a foreign visitor. Some also questioned why no other passengers intervened to de-escalate the situation.
The incident has once again reignited debate in Taiwan over the proper understanding and use of priority seating on public transportation, as well as the importance of mutual respect and empathy among passengers.