Belgian man fined for assisting old lady

A man who assisted an elderly woman on Monday after train doors closed on her was "thanked" by the conductor with a 60-euro fine.

"I apparently could have caused a delay and that is not permitted," said Daniël Dewulf from Ostend.

Dewulf managed to get on the Bruges-bound train just before the conductor's whistle. "Then I noticed that an elderly woman had tried to get on after me. The doors had closed on her, trapping her. In order to prevent a tragedy pushed the door open and helped her get in. She thanked me profusely."

The conductor was less enthusiastic. "He gave me a fine because my actions increased the chance of a delay," Dewulf explained. "The train arrived right on time in Bruges in any event. The conductor did not see my point that I may have saved the woman's life as a mitigating circumstance. Result: 60-euro fine."

The Belgian Railways has since admitted that Dewulf should not be blamed and that he did help to prevent a worse accident. He will not have to pay the fine in the end. "We also offer our apologies. We should have in fact fined the woman in question for boarding the train after the whistle."