Jamila Khavari was mistakenly removed from a subway train in Skärholmen during a ticket inspection, leading to an apology from SL. The incident, which left Khavari shaken, highlights issues of misunderstanding and routine clarity in public transport.
SL Apologizes After Passenger Wrongly Removed from Subway
SL Apologizes After Passenger Wrongly Removed from Subway
Jamila Khavari had just boarded the subway when she was forced to leave again. Now, SL apologizes and says they will review their procedures.
Last Thursday, Jamila Khavari, 51, and a friend passed through the turnstiles at the Skärholmen subway station during an ongoing ticket inspection of passengers exiting the station.
After validating their tickets, they took the elevator down to the platform, as her friend had a child in a stroller. Soon, a train arrived, and they boarded and sat down.
"Then I saw two people approaching. I didn't think they would check me because they had seen me validate my ticket," says Jamila Khavari.
Removed from the Train
Without being told why, they were instructed to leave the train.
"I was very scared and panicked, asking why and what had happened. But they just told us to get off," says Jamila Khavari.
Once they exited with the stroller, Jamila Khavari perceived that the inspectors and a guard waved the subway driver on, who then drove away. Only afterward did they learn it was about a ticket inspection.
"I was very sad and angry. My body was shaking, and I couldn't react," says Jamila Khavari.
Around the same time, her daughter Fatemeh Khavari, 25, arrived on the platform and saw her mother in shock.
"She tried to explain, and I heard her voice, but I didn't quite understand what was happening. When I reached her, she started crying and broke down," says Fatemeh Khavari.
Strongly Affected
After the tickets were checked, Jamila Khavari says they were given an explanation that it was a suspicion and a misunderstanding.
Both mother and daughter say the treatment on the subway has strongly affected Jamila Khavari. She has had difficulty concentrating at work and sleeping at night. It has brought back memories of events in Iran and Afghanistan.
Jamila and Fatemeh Khavari have a background in Afghanistan and came to Sweden in 2015 after living in Iran. Fatemeh Khavari has been active in the organization Young in Sweden, which supports unaccompanied refugee children.
"I have a past life with everyday racism, I have experienced it. But this is the first time it has happened to me since I moved to Sweden," she says.
SL Apologizes
SL states that they are aware of the incident and admit that it was not handled correctly.
"As a passenger, you should certainly not be removed from a subway train by ticket inspectors without even having the opportunity to show your ticket. We sincerely apologize to the two affected passengers," writes press communicator Elin Lindström in an email.
The company will now clarify procedures for everyone working with ticket inspections.