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Bus Brawls Batter Chinese Reputation

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A string of horrifying videos, all of which revolve around the disintegrating social etiquette standards on China’s public transportation, has ignited controversial discussion on social media websites throughout the past weeks. 

As is common practice the world over, certain seating is reserved for passengers in need; such as pregnant women, elderly citizens and the handicapped. Last week, when a young man from Wuhan refused to forfeit his claimed “priority seat” to a group of elderly passengers, the situation quickly escalated into a loud and violent confrontation. Video footage taken on a fellow passenger’s mobile phone captured one of the elderly commuters viciously shoving and slapping the unobliging man, who was several decades his junior. Other senior passengers fueled the hysteria with their cries of encouragement and violence. Reporters have stated that the younger man was not severely injured by the vicious incident, however the same can not be said of the reputation held by China’s younger generation, which is being damaged through such stories of youthful selfishness.

Respect for elders, a significant Confucian principle, is traditionally encouraged from childhood in Chinese society. However, many fear that the nation’s introduction of the one-child policy in 1979, which has indirectly resulted in children being raised amid the luxurious attention of their multiple carers, will lead to many self-centered “little emperors” constituting China’s future generations. After viewing the viral video on Chinese web portals NetEase and Weibo several commenters scolded the youngster for his perceived lack of etiquette and respect for the elderly. On the other hand, the aged perpetrators have also been criticized for their decision to resolve the situation through forceful and violent means. One commentator offered an interesting perspective on the conflict through his posing of the question “If they have the strength to beat people up, why did they need seats?” 

Unfortunately, this is one of many confrontations of this genre to make news headlines in China. In an episode dauntingly similar to the aforementioned, a senior Chinese citizen collapsed shortly after he was involved in a physical quarrel with a university student over bus seating in Henan Province.  In spite of efforts being made to resuscitate the senior, he passed away shortly following his loss of consciousness. It has been said that old man’s premature death was likely to be the result of a heart-related complication. On September 10th, one Twitter user who was inspired by this aged man’s death proffered a unique solution to China’s contemporary bus confrontations; “Bus seats have caused a number of fights around the world. Let’s remove the seats for peace.”

Meanwhile, fifty elderly folk in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan Province, had a different solution in mind. The protesters took to the city’s streets carrying slogan ridden signs in attempt to share with the world their interesting take on public transport etiquette. The seniors believe, contrary to typical standpoints, that China’s elderly should be forfeiting their bus and subway seats to younger passengers. According to the protesters, youngsters are generally burdened by the pressures associated with work and providing for large families whilst the elderly, with their simpler, slow – paced lifestyle, do not possess such tiring responsibilities.

While the aforementioned conflicts were caused by generational differences, other factors have also led to brawls on China’s public transportation. The most recent cause of conflict ensued in our very own Jiangsu province; after being warned not to smoke inside of a public bus, an irritated commuter abused his bus driver, slapping him a total of twelve times before fleeing the bus in a frenzy.

China’s image of societal morality hit a further low when in 2013 Chinese women were exposed for shamelessly using plastic “baby bumps” (purchasable from China’s eBay equivalent, Taobao) to guarantee themselves a seat on the subway during peak hour travel times.

Such displays of immorality and violence suggest people will stop at nothing for a comfortable ride; at the same time it appears that regard for fellow passengers is steadily becoming a thing of the past. Perhaps the “little emperor” syndrome predicted by anthropologists is taking over China sooner, and infinitely more profoundly, than anticipated. 

 

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