Light Hearted News - After you! Beijing institutes queuing day

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

 

Taken from:

http://uk.news./07022007/80-132/beijing-institutes-queuing-day.html

 

BEIJING (Reuters) - The 11th of every month in Beijing is to be " voluntarily

wait in line " day as the city attempts to eradicate queue-jumping before

next year's Olympics, a city official said on Wednesday.

 

 

Orderly queues are a rare sight in a city which is also hard at work trying

to put an end to spitting and littering and present a more " civilised " face

to the world in 2008.

 

 

 

" The reason for establishing such a day is to mobilise the Beijing

population to ensure that where there are more than two people, they should

wait in line, " said Zhang Huiguang, director of the Capital Ethic

Development Office.

 

 

" We are hoping to enlist all the citizens of Beijing to be missionaries of

civilisation, " she added.

 

 

 

The campaign will be launched in the fashionable Wangfujing shopping

district on Sunday under the slogan, " It's civilised to queue, it's glorious

to be polite " .

 

 

 

A range of measures include enlisting the support of the media, education

campaigns, the use of model citizens, legislation, " punishment and reward

schemes " as well as a slogan for each city district.

 

 

 

The western district of Xicheng has " Voluntarily wait in line, be polite and

put other people first " , central Dongcheng has " I care about and participate

in the Olympics and set an example by queuing " while northwestern Haidian

has simply " I am a member of the queue " .

 

 

 

The existing campaigns against littering and spitting in the capital had

already reaped dividends, Zhang said, with 50 yuan ($6.45) fines only part

of the city's armoury.

 

 

 

" The most important thing is not the amount of the fine but in China, where

saving face is so important, just the shame of being fined, " she said.

 

 

 

" Random garbage disposal and spitting are not good for people's health and

so we must point out the hazards to them, " Zhang added. " We must also tell

them that this sort of behaviour is something we should be ashamed off. "

 

 

 

China's " Mr Olympics " , He Zhenliang, said last year that " the rude bus

passenger " or " witness to an accident that fails to lend a hand " were the

biggest obstacles to hosting an impressive Games.

 

 

 

Zhang said that a " Civic Index " drawn up by Renmin University had indicated

an improvement of behaviour among the city's 15 million citizens from 65.21

percent in 2005 to 69.06 last year.

 

 

 

" I'm confident that by next year ... with the help of the Beijing people,

the situation will be much improved and the number of people littering and

spitting will be much reduced, " she said.

 

 

 

Attilio: I like to see them introduce that in India, impossible!

 

Regards

 

Attilio

 

<http://www.chinesemedicinetimes.com> www.chinesemedicinetimes.com