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Man ridiculed after shaving on train says he was trying to clean up after staying in homeless shelter

Anthony Torres says he was the rider caught shaving on a New Jersey Transit train: AP
Anthony Torres says he was the rider caught shaving on a New Jersey Transit train: AP

A man who was ridiculed for shaving while travelling on a commuter train has said he was homeless and trying to clean up after spending time in a shelter.

Anthony Torres was filmed shaving on a train in New Jersey on Thursday and was mocked on social media after the video went viral, with some people branding him a “slob” and an “animal”.

The 56-year-old has since said that people insulting him online do not understand his struggles and that his life is “all screwed up”.

Mr Torres can be seen shaving on the train and discarding the soap on the floor in footage he said was taken by another passenger after days in a homeless shelter.

He claims he had taken refuge at a shelter in New York City and was travelling to his sibling in New Jersey after reaching out for help and borrowing money for a train ticket.

Torres said he was just trying to clean up after days spent in a homeless shelter (AP)
Torres said he was just trying to clean up after days spent in a homeless shelter (AP)

After spending time at the shelter, Mr Torres said he did not have a chance to shower and clean up at the shelter and just wanted to look “presentable”.

He added: “I don’t want to say that I’m homeless, let everybody know. That’s why I was shaving.”

The 56-year-old was left upset by the viral tweet, which had more than 2.4 million views, and said he never thought people making fun of him would go viral, the Guardian reported.

His brother Thomas Torres, 57 said his sibling has been through some struggles and has spent time living in motels and living in bus depots after moving to wherever he could get work.

“Maybe people will have more feeling knowing what this kid’s been through,” he said.