Subway leaves pizza behind as doors shut

A photo of a subway train pulling away with a pizza box wedged in its doors has been spreading online, drawing laughs from social media users. The scene appears to have unfolded after a passenger, trying not to miss the train, shoved only the pizza through the closing doors while failing to board.

On Friday, a post on the social media platform X showed a photo of a pizza box in a plastic bag caught between the doors of a Seoul Line 2 train, along with a description of what happened.

"A man tried to hold the Line 2 train doors open with a pizza box to catch the train at the subway station, but the train left with only the pizza," the poster wrote.

Photos taken from another angle came with accounts saying, "A couple tried to get on but failed, leaving only the pizza box behind," and "Everyone on the train was taking pictures of the pizza box."

One user wrote, "Everyone in and around the subway who saw this could not stop laughing and was busy taking out their phones to snap photos as proof."

Other users reacted with comments such as, "Did he think the doors would open if he did that?" "Why would you waste other people's time just to save your own?" "If someone gets caught in the door, is that the train operator's fault?" and "Is that pizza headed to the lost and found?"

This is not the first time an attempt to force one's way onto a subway train has led to an awkward situation.

In May, at Seolleung Station on Seoul Line 2, a middle-aged passenger tried to board by wedging an umbrella in the train doors, but the train operator briefly opened the doors just enough to prevent anyone from getting on before quickly closing them again and departing — a moment that also went viral at the time.

According to Seoul Metro, more than 30 percent of all subway accidents over the past five years have been related to train doors, and forcing one's way onto a train can cause delays as well as put the passenger's own safety at risk.

Meanwhile, the Railroad Safety Act prohibits obstructing the opening or closing of train doors without justifiable reason in a way that disrupts train operations. A first-time violation that actually disrupts train operations can result in a fine of 1.5 million won ($1,120).