MTR staff ‘follow, interrogate and threaten’ Baptist University student with hefty fine for carrying his cello on a train

A university student claims he was threatened with a HK$2000 fine after being followed by plain-clothes MTR staff and interrogated for carrying a cello on the East Rail Line.

Ho Ka-yeung, a year four music student at Hong Kong Baptist University, said he was tailed yesterday evening by MTR staff who were not uniform when he boarded a train at Tai Wai station. When he arrived at the next station in Kowloon Tong, uniformed staff were waiting on the platform to catch him for carrying luggage they considered to be oversized.

“They measured the cello case which they said exceeded the official length limit of 130cm by 4cm,” he said. “But then a woman came to my rescue and challenged them for double standards as there were other passengers with large carry-ons in the train.”

“So they took me to a small room and brought in a senior officer who issued me a warning letter which stipulated that further violation would result in prosecution and a fine of up to HK$2,000.”

The student offered to pay extra fare for the cello, but the staff refused, informing him that MTR tickets were for passengers only, not luggage.

After half an hour in the room, Ho was escorted to a station exit. When he asked them how he could get to Kowloon Bay for his rehearsal, the staff said it was his business as they were not obliged to offer him advice on alternative transportation.

Ho ended up taking the MTR again, risking a second warning, but he chose another entrance to the station and boarded the Kwun Tong Line without a problem.