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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Alahna Kindred

Row erupts on train when 'exempt' maskless woman refuses to let anyone sit next to her

A row erupted on a train after a maskless passenger refused to let anyone sit next to her.

The woman - in a black hat and pink coat - refused to move her bag for another passenger while travelling on the DLR towards London City Airport in the capital.

The passenger, who said she was exempt from wearing a mask, said: "What is wrong with you? Did you just come out of cave."

The standing passenger, who was wearing a mask and wearing a black coat, replied: "Out of a cave?

"Are you actually going to put your hands on me over a seat on a train that I have paid for today?"

The woman sitting down told the passenger on the DLR to London City Airport in the capital to stay away from her (Robert Trebor_s/Triangle News)
The woman in the pink coat claims she is exempt from wearing a mask and the woman in the green coat also says she's exempt as she forcefully sits down (Robert Trebor_s/Triangle News)

The pink coat-wearing passenger responded by saying she is clinically vulnerable and does not need to give up the seat next to her for safety reasons.

The shocked passenger standing then looked around in disbelief.

The woman sitting down told the passenger to stay away from her and the frustrated woman picked up her bag and left the area.

In a second part of the video, the woman in the black coat was with another passenger who also got involved.

The passenger with the black hat started filming other commuters for arguing with her about not letting others sit next to her.

She could be heard saying: "Are you harassing me? Don't film me?"

Things escalated when a blonde passenger picked up her bag and forcefully sat in the seat next to her.

The woman then starts telling people they need to social distance from her (Robert Trebor_s/Triangle News)
One passenger looks around the train in disbelief at what is happening (Robert Trebor_s/Triangle News)

The horrified woman then picked up her bag and displayed a card as she exclaimed: "I am exempt and you do not wear a mask."

The blonde woman answered back saying she is exempt as well and that card is saved on her phone.

The woman in the pink coat then stands up and starts arguing with the woman saying they are not wearing face masks.

The upset woman can be heard saying: "You guys should be socially distancing when someone is exempt, you shouldn't be sitting right next to them."

She blamed passengers - like the ones who took the seat next to her - for new virus strains emerging.

The two videos, which were shared on TikTok, have been viewed more than 3.6million times combined.

Viewers were divided on who was at fault.

One said: "Anyone on the side of the pink coat woman needs a reality check."

Another argued: "Poor girl. She's well-spoken and polite, obviously distressed and got a valid point."

While another added: "Why are people arguing like it's a Nintendo game?

"Somebody wanted to sit down and someone was making rules on a train that does not belong to her."

From 4am on November 30 face coverings were made a legal requirement in shops and on public transport.

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