- The image sparked the curiosity of internet users who were surprised at how she managed to bring it aboard
- Hong Kong Tramways regulations stipulate no luggage weighing more than 7kg or exceeding 30 litres is allowed
A woman boarded a tram with a giant mattress. Photo: Weibo/香港自由行加加An image of a commuter on a Hong Kong tram with a massive mattress has gone viral as netizens expressed amazement at how she managed to bring it aboard.
“Someone actually lifted the mattress to Ding Ding [tram]!?” said a user, who posted the photo on Xiaohongshu, mainland China’s Instagram-like social media platform.
The photo shows a woman holding a handrail and standing in the aisle near the driver’s seat and leaning against a large mattress next to the wall of the vehicle.
Known as “ding dings” for the sound of their bells, the trams are one of the city’s earliest forms of public transport, stretching back 119 years.
Many internet users were surprised by the photo and wondered how the passenger boarded the narrow tram with the mattress when it was difficult to get even smaller items on and off the tram.
“I felt it was narrow when I got in ... How did she do it?” one user said.
Another asked: “I can’t even lift my baby stroller, how could she carry the mattress on board the tram?”
Users were also curious to know how the tram driver allowed the woman to bring the mattress on board, asking, “the Ding Ding driver didn’t scold her?”
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Hong Kong Tramways said the incident happened at about 1pm on May 14 when a female passenger took a tram to Kennedy Town from Happy Valley.
It said that when the tram captain opened the back door for passengers to board the vehicle, he took a break and went to the bathroom.
“At that time, a female passenger took the opportunity to board the tram with the mattress,” it added.
The captain then quickly returned to the driver’s seat and started driving.
“Since the female passenger placed the mattress tightly behind the driver’s seat, near the steps leading to the upper deck, and the colour of the mattress was similar to the colour of the carriage compartment, the captain wasn’t aware of it,” it said.
The company said when the tram reached Central, a passenger reported to the driver that the passageway was blocked.
“The driver immediately advised the passenger to get off at the next stop,” it said.
It also called on all passengers to consider the safety and comfort of themselves and others and maintain a reasonable and good attitude while taking a tram.
According to Hong Kong Tramways regulations, passengers are not allowed to carry luggage weighing more than 7kg or exceeding 30 litres on trams. In addition, no goods are allowed which in the motorman’s opinion are, or will be, inconvenient to other passengers.
Passengers carrying oversized items on MTR trains sparked controversy in 2015 and resulted in a change in carriage and baggage arrangements on board.