Q Should littering fines take into account the offender's ability to pay?
The idea that someone should be punished less for an offence because they have less money is absolutely ridiculous. People should not litter or spit - there is no excuse. If the level of a fine is regarded by the offender as a mere nuisance, it is too low. If Hong Kong is to establish itself as a world-class city, littering - and especially spitting - must stop.
If you compare the penalties for littering and running a red light, you may conclude that the latter is a lesser offence because the fine is lower. The problem is that penalties for driving offences are too low.
The government has yet to realise that motorists who drive through red lights pose a far greater risk to the public than jaywalkers. You can often see about a dozen traffic police at the junction of Nathan and Jordan roads. Jaywalkers are fined, but the drivers of cars, buses, taxis and other vehicles that pass through red lights - sometimes blocking the junction - escape without even a verbal reprimand.
Police really do not have their priorities right.
Terje Taraldlien, Tsim Sha Tsui
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