Thanks to social media, anyone can log in to Twitter these days and comment on the fate of people who are stuck inside a stranded train from the comfort of their own homes. Is this what the world has become?
Last week, several hundred commuters found themselves trapped inside an East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) train in rural Niigata for about 15 hours due to heavy snowfall. Domestic media jumped on their plight, with television networks making it one of the night’s biggest stories and newspapers devoting substantial space to it in print the next day. And users on sites such as Twitter and 2chan followed the situation closely, despite the story largely focusing on the train’s inability to move.
If there’s perhaps one thing netizens do better than keeping close tabs on developing news, it’s doling out blame. While the train remained stalled, users on Twitter far removed from the action voiced criticism about JR’s handling of the situation, while also blaming the local government for not sending in Self-Defense Forces to help. Others wondered why passengers didn’t just walk to the station, or help move the snow themselves.
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