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A man recently filmed himself challenging the rules on the MRT in Singapore by blatantly drinking plain water next to a "No Drinking" sign while on board the train along the East West Line.
The act stirred up debate online, with some questioning if his actions were against the law, while others criticised him for not respecting Singapore's public transport rules.
The video, shared to social media on Sep. 21, showed the man, believed to be a foreigner, standing at the Chinese Garden MRT station gantry holding a bottle of plain water.
He said in Mandarin: "Everyone knows that you can't drink water on Singapore MRT trains, but today let's do a challenge where I'll drink water on the MRT".
Screenshot of video from trulysglah/Instagram
Inside the train carriage, the man pointed at the "No Drinking" sign displayed on the wall, and looked around him before drinking some water.
Once done, he gave a thumbs up to the camera.
Screenshot of video from trulysglah/Instagram
Subsequently, at the Outram Park MRT platform, the man held up the bottle and said, "this proves I just casually drank water on the Singapore MRT".
The video subsequently sparked debate amongst online users.
Some comments argued that drinking plain water should be acceptable on the MRT, especially in the case of emergencies, whereas other sweet drinks are not allowed.
Screenshot of comment from trulysglah/Instagram
Screenshot of comment from thesgdaily/Instagram
Others felt that while the man did not explicitly break the law, his attitude of challenging the rules in Singapore was not acceptable.
"Get lost if he doesn't know the basic respect of our country's rules," one commenter wrote.
Screenshot of comment from thesgdaily/Instagram
Screenshot of comment from trulysglah/Instagram
By law, the consumption of food and drinks is not allowed on MRT trains or platforms.
But whether the ban on consuming drinks also extends to plain water is an evergreen topic of discussion.
A quick check on Xiaohongshu showed at least 10 posts made in 2025 warning visitors to Singapore not to consume drinks on the MRT, even if it's plain water.
In January, a person claiming to be a foreign student said on Xiaohongshu that they were stopped by an MRT staff when drinking water at the platform of Chinatown MRT.
"I thought I was going to be fined, but the staff left after giving me the warning," the student wrote.
Other users previously shared on Reddit that they were stopped or given warnings for drinking plain water in MRT trains or at platforms.
Drinking plain water is discouraged on the MRT as leaks or spill can cause inconvenience to other commuters.
Mothership has reached out to SMRT for comment
Man drinks water on S'pore MRT train as challenge to test if rules are also fluid
Rules are rules?September 22, 2025, 06:15 PM
A man recently filmed himself challenging the rules on the MRT in Singapore by blatantly drinking plain water next to a "No Drinking" sign while on board the train along the East West Line.
The act stirred up debate online, with some questioning if his actions were against the law, while others criticised him for not respecting Singapore's public transport rules.
"Challenging" MRT rules
The video, shared to social media on Sep. 21, showed the man, believed to be a foreigner, standing at the Chinese Garden MRT station gantry holding a bottle of plain water.
He said in Mandarin: "Everyone knows that you can't drink water on Singapore MRT trains, but today let's do a challenge where I'll drink water on the MRT".
Inside the train carriage, the man pointed at the "No Drinking" sign displayed on the wall, and looked around him before drinking some water.
Once done, he gave a thumbs up to the camera.
Subsequently, at the Outram Park MRT platform, the man held up the bottle and said, "this proves I just casually drank water on the Singapore MRT".
Sparked discussion online
The video subsequently sparked debate amongst online users.
Some comments argued that drinking plain water should be acceptable on the MRT, especially in the case of emergencies, whereas other sweet drinks are not allowed.
Others felt that while the man did not explicitly break the law, his attitude of challenging the rules in Singapore was not acceptable.
"Get lost if he doesn't know the basic respect of our country's rules," one commenter wrote.
Is drinking plain water allowed on MRT?
By law, the consumption of food and drinks is not allowed on MRT trains or platforms.
But whether the ban on consuming drinks also extends to plain water is an evergreen topic of discussion.
A quick check on Xiaohongshu showed at least 10 posts made in 2025 warning visitors to Singapore not to consume drinks on the MRT, even if it's plain water.
In January, a person claiming to be a foreign student said on Xiaohongshu that they were stopped by an MRT staff when drinking water at the platform of Chinatown MRT.
"I thought I was going to be fined, but the staff left after giving me the warning," the student wrote.
Other users previously shared on Reddit that they were stopped or given warnings for drinking plain water in MRT trains or at platforms.
Drinking plain water is discouraged on the MRT as leaks or spill can cause inconvenience to other commuters.
Mothership has reached out to SMRT for comment
