Sebastian Gutierrez takes the Metro nearly every day to get to school downtown. But on Monday afternoon, his routine took a terrifying turn at Lionel-Groulx station.
“I was minding my own business when a guy came from nowhere and grabbed my bag and started shaking me,” Gutierrez recalled.
The 20-year-old says he was standing at a safe distance on the platform when the incident occurred, but the sudden aggression made him lose his balance.
“I felt like I could have died that day,” he said.
Although Gutierrez escaped the worst, the experience left him shaken. Now, he’s calling for the installation of safety barriers at metro platforms of the Société de transport de Montréal (STM).
“Glass panels between the platform and the railing, like the ones we have at the REM or in other cities outside of North America — like Japan, where there are a lot of glass panels to prevent suicide,” he said.
The push for platform screen doors is not new. In January 2023, a coroner urged the STM to install them despite the significant cost, following the death of a 12-year-old girl who jumped in front of a Metro train.
However, the 2024-2033 investment plan from the STM suggests such upgrades won’t be happening anytime soon.
In the meantime, Gutierrez hopes sharing his experience will encourage other commuters to stay alert.
“Be aware of your surroundings and stay close to the wall,” he advised.
Gutierrez has filed a police report, and Montreal police confirmed the case is under investigation.
