A viral claim that Taipei's subway removed poles and seats to help Chinese soldiers has been rejected by the transit operator, but the fight over the rumor is now a campaign issue.

• Taipei Metro says the redesign frees up space for more riders and matches what other cities do, not any military purpose.
• The company threatened legal action over social posts using doctored photos to push the claim.
• Puma Shen, the DPP candidate for Taipei mayor, said rumors spread because the city never explained the change clearly.
• His fix: explain first, sue later, and add enough hand straps so riders are not left with nothing to hold.
• He tied it to an earlier city dispute over tree removal that also went unexplained.

Outlook: Expect the seat redesign and the city's handling of rumors to keep surfacing in the Taipei mayoral race.