Man wrestles with Chinatown carpark gantry barrier, holds up traffic at exit

An elderly man was filmed wrestling with a carpark gantry barrier in Chinatown, eventually breaking it.

A video of the incident was uploaded to Instagram on Sunday (July 26) by Sgfollowsall, and has since garnered over 153,000 views and 160 comments.

The incident reportedly occurred at the carpark of People's Park Complex, though it is unclear when it occurred.

The video appears to be filmed by a person in a vehicle at the carpark exit, and at least one other vehicle can be seen stalled while the man blocks the exit.

The clip shows the man forcefully pushing the barrier upwards, before pushing it sideways and snapping off the longer section of the boom arm.

He then places the broken off piece onto the curb next to the gantry, before attempting to push the shorter piece upwards.

The man also attempts to break the shorter piece by pressing down on it, but to no avail.

Towards the end of the video, the man is also seen approaching the access terminal and pressing a button, likely to speak to staff through the intercom.

Netizens were quick to comment on the video, and many were amused by the man's actions.

"Uncle making sure that the spoiled gantry is really spoiled," one netizen wrote, while another joked that "his feud with the gantry has gotten really personal".

Another quipped: "So civic-minded of him to put the broken piece on the side."

At the same time, several netizens took issue with the man's behaviour and said he should not have committed such a blatant act of vandalism, regardless of his situation.

Some said that he should have asked for help through the intercom, while others defended him, saying that "many times there's nobody answering".

AsiaOne has contacted People's Park Complex for more information.

In May 2024, a 46-year-old Malaysian committed a similar act.

He removed four carpark gantry barrier arms at West Connect Building with a metal cutter, and stored them elsewhere.

According to The Straits Times, he also damaged two wheel clamps worth $500 in the building.

The police arrested him weeks later and he was charged with one count each of theft and mischief.

Those convicted of mischief will face a jail term of up to two years, a fine, or both.

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