Chinese man, 41, fined S$2,000 for urinating on Outram Park MRT escalator while drunk

On Jan. 10, 2025, a 41-year-old Chinese national alighted at Outram Park station after consuming a large amount of beer and becoming heavily intoxicated at a business dinner.

While exiting the station via Exit 3, the man, Li Guorui, unzipped his pants and urinated on the moving handrail of the downward-riding escalator.

Although Li exited the station afterwards, multiple members of the public witnessed his deed, and a report was lodged via SG Secure the next day.

Li was traced and arrested by the police on Jan. 12 and fined S$2,000 by the court on Jan. 14.

What happened

According to court documents seen by Mothership, Li arrived in Singapore on Jan. 2 for a business trip and stayed at a hotel along Upper Cross Street.

Investigations revealed that before the incident, he had a business dinner at Westgate Mall from 7pm to 9pm on Jan. 10.

He then boarded the MRT at Jurong East station to return to his hotel.

After urinating on the escalator at around 10:03pm, Li returned to his hotel.

Pleaded guilty

However, as multiple passers-by witnessed and recorded his actions, footage of the incident circulated widely and was reposted online.

Court documents stated that a single video obtained over 2,000 reactions.

On Jan. 12, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) also responded to the incident, stating that it would work with the police to push for the maximum possible penalty against Li.

"LTA and the transport operators strongly condemn such anti-social behaviour, which not only deface public spaces but also pose health and sanitation concerns for commuters," read the statement.

On Jan. 13, Li was charged with committing a public nuisance that caused annoyance, reported CNA.

He was handed the maximum fine of S$2,000 for the charge after admitting to his offence.

2 other similar incidents within last week

During court proceedings, the prosecution highlighted the need for "general deterrence" in Li's sentence as he was only "one of a recent spate of similar incidents".

Citing LTA, the prosecution said two other individuals were caught for allegedly urinating at Tanah Merah and Potong Pasir MRT stations, respectively, within the last week.

Specifically, the incident at Tanah Merah MRT station made headlines after footage showing the alleged culprit committing the act began circulating online.

For Li's case, the prosecution also submitted that there were several aggravating factors, which included how his acts could potentially affect "Singapore's reputation as a public transport hub".

Additionally, his deeds will "affect the escalator's internal components" and "necessitate additional maintenance of the escalator", which further inconveniences the public.

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