Trending in Beijing: Cheap Safety Helmets, Chicken Wings, and Wall-Taped Teachers
The fun, the strange, and the what-on-earth-is-this: a wrap-up of top stories in Beijing as told by the trending hashtags, local press, and general power of the internet.
The low-quality construction helmet scandal continues
A video of a construction worker surnamed Dou smashing two safety hats together went viral last week. In the video, the hat that was meant for construction workers broke, while the one designated for supervisors remained intact. The worker has since reportedly been fired from his job and is having trouble finding another one. His video was watched more than 11 million times on Kuaishou, until it was taken down.
CCTV also recently posted a video in which their reporters went to buy safety helmets in Daxing District. There, they were offered hats for RMB 4-8 apiece, and unsurprisingly, most of the hats did not come with the required safety certificates. The report also looked at incidents in Shenzhen and Shanghai, and concluded that it is very common amongst private contractors around China to purchase dodgy hats, while larger construction companies usually sign agreements with their own, better-quality suppliers. One shop keeper is quoted as saying that red hard hats go for around RMB 20 but most of the contractors are not willing to spend that money per worker and only buy helmets for appearance's sake, to give the illusion of legitimacy when the inspectors come.
"If I'm wearing a safety helmet that is not safe, then why the hell am I wearing it?" wondered one netizen. People are following the story under #一撞即碎安全帽充斥市场# (Easy-breaking safety helmets flood the market).
McDonald's chicken comes with extra protein
One Beijinger's Easter meal came with some extra signs of life: feathers. Pictures of the rather gruesome deep-fried wing with feathers still visible and posed with the food delivery receipt emerged on Weibo on Apr 24.
The official McDonald's Weibo account replied with an apology under the video, claiming that they have taken the incident very seriously and have launched an investigation into the matter.
While some netizens were outraged by the feathery foodstuff, most of the internet found the humorous side. "Well, at least it's made from real chicken!" quipped one, while another other added, "The food is so fresh, even the feathers have not yet been plucked." Users are sharing their experiences of unexpected food findings under #麦当劳外卖鸡翅中吃出鸡毛# (McDonald's chicken wing comes with feathers).
Teachers get taped for fundraising
No, it's not a scene from a school riot, but in fact a creative fundraising event at Xinyingcai Middle School (Beijing New Talent Academy) whereby students taped their teachers to the wall. Students could pay RMB 10 for a piece of duct tape and place it on their teacher of choice. The activity was designed not only to raise funds for a garden project but also to help students blow off some steam ahead of their upcoming exams. Many netizens commented that this activity would be their dream come true, leaving us a little concerned for teacher-student relations across the city.
Besides a couple of netizens claiming that this subversion of power would likely make the teachers' work even more difficult, most of the internet saw the positive side. "This school is really talented," wrote one (making reference to the school's name). Follow the taping teachers talk under #中学生把校长老师绑了# (Middle school students tie up principal and teachers).
READ: What You Need to Know Before Buying an E-Bike in Beijing
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Email: tautviledaugelaite@thebeijinger.com
Images: Weibo
