A video of a parkour athlete sliding all the way down the side of an escalator in a Hong Kong MTR station is making the rounds on social media recently.
The 20-second video shows his daredevil stunt from two different angles.
It ends with him landing safely on the lower floor.
Netizens identified the station as Nam Cheong station.
The snippets were taken from videos originally posted to parkour athlete Kwan Wing-tai’s Instagram on Aug. 13 and 14.
One reads, “Don’t stop me/Cause I am having a good time,” quoting the lyrics of British rock band Queen’s 1970’s hit.
The other post reads, “Everything‘s fine 🐢.”
In another post, he said that he really admires every parkour athlete, “because you are true to yourself”.
The recent viral popularity of the video led to the media inquiring about it with the MTR.
HK01 quoted an MTR spokesman as saying that it was not sure when the video was shot and where it came from. It added that staff at the station had not received any reports about the incident but that it has now reported the relevant behavior in the video to the police.
It also said that MTR by-laws state that “no person shall climb or jump on or over any wall, fence, barrier, turnstile or post in any part of the railway premises”.
The spokesman urged passengers to take care of themselves and others, protect themselves and others, and refrain from behaviors that are dangerous and a nuisance to other passengers. He added MTR staff will advise, warn or report to the police if they find any such behavior. If passengers notice such situations, they can immediately notify station staff for follow-up.
Many netizens were critical of Kwan for doing parkour in the station.
“It’s okay for you to die, but what if you hit someone. This is selfish behavior,” said one internet user.
“Childish,” said another.
But others praised him for his moves and willingness to try.
“It’s so cool. After watching this, I really want to be as capable as you,” said a netizen.
“The reason why these cowards look down on you is that you can do what they can’t… Looking forward to your new attempt! ! 😼”
Some managed to find humor in the incident.
“[MTR] can hire one fewer cleaner,” said a netizen.
Kwan told HK01 that he respected the decision of MTR and understood public concerns.
But he added, “These movements are as natural to me as someone else’s walking, and I don’t see any danger to me.”
When asked if he’s worried others might follow suit, he replied that he did not believe he could change others’ actions, adding parkour requires individuals to have sufficient knowledge of their own abilities and that it is not easy to just imitate.
Kwan is an early adopter of parkour in Hong Kong, starting back in 2006.
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