Sleeping on the job may be considered a positive aspect over in Japan, but it appears that the controversial notion does not hold true here.
Especially when your job concerns the lives of many, many different individuals.
According to AsiaOne, a train captain has lost his rice bowl after getting in trouble with the higher-ups. And the offence in question?
Taking a nap.
SMRT Train Captain Filmed Sleeping While on the Job & is Reportedly No Longer Working With SMRT
So lest you’re unaware, there was an Instagram video that went pretty viral back in February 2021.
Chances are, you may have seen it too.
In the relatively short clip, a uniformed man, believed to be a train captain at SMRT, could be seen setting foot into the cockpit of a train, sitting down and pressing a button labelled “cab light”.
The next moment, the lights went off, and he swiftly leaned back for a nap.
From the looks of it, the video appears to have been self-made.
Though the initial intention of the video may be for entertainment, Netizens didn’t take kindly to it.
“He slept during work?” one said. “No wonder someone got ran over.”
You can view the Instagram video here:
View this post on Instagram
After the video went viral, public transport operator SMRT reportedly began investigating the incident, and eventually assembled a disciplinary inquiry board.
And following considerable deliberation, the train captain was relieved of his duties.
He is “no longer working in SMRT,” said Lam Sheau Kai, president of SMRT Trains.
“Safety is our top priority at SMRT and we do not condone any behaviour that compromises commuter safety,” he added.
Responsibilities
As a train captain who’s responsible for numerous lives, such behaviour is undeniably errant even with automated capabilities.
And the same goes for other captains as well.
For instance, a pilot at the forefront of Taiwan’s first community case in 8 months was previously fired from EVA Airways on Wednesday (23 December 2020).
He was also handed a hefty fine of NT$300,000 (SGD$14,176).
In a statement, the airline expressed that the pilot had flouted pandemic prevention orders, and caused “serious damage to the company’s reputation and image”.
Apparently, he had failed to “truthfully declare” his contacts and activities to health authorities – in spite of his realisation that he was infected.
He also neglected his mask while on duty, despite being reminded of the safety protocol.
He was reportedly coughing during a flight on 12 December 2020.
As a result of the pilot’s negligence, two colleagues, as well as a Taiwanese woman who purportedly had contact with him, tested positive.
The woman would go on to make contact with 173 people – 170 of whom tested negative. The rest are still pending.
Though the train captain’s lapse in judgement may have survived with no real consequences (save for his loss of job of course), it could very well have spiralled into something more.
And so, if you’re in a position where people look to you for their own safety, don’t get complacent.
After all, it takes just a single mistake to unravel everything.
Featured Image: Instagram (singapura.viral)