My Take | Forget ethics, just get me there on time

I have no idea if Cathay Pacific "lacks virtuous Chinese morals and professional ethics", as famous mainland artist Lee Yuet-fung alleged in court. But it is surely something that money could easily remedy, considering that Lee, as revealed in court testimony, makes one million yuan (HK$1.27 million) a month!

He might have found much higher moral and professional standards in business and first classes. I don't know for sure, since these are august and fabled places which, like those in National Geographic, are completely out of my league.

Lee, you would remember, was fined HK$6,000 this week for assaulting a Cathay flight attendant after he threw a cup at her during a flight from Singapore to Hong Kong in December.

He was upset it took her more than 20 minutes to bring him water as she was serving meals at the time. I surmise he must be travelling in economy, which is surely unworthy of such an important and wealthy man.

Actually, 20 minutes is not that long. In my experience as one of the cattle on Cathay flights, my requests for extra drinks or whatever often go unheeded. Now I have learned my place and don't bother the attendants any more. I just go straight to the kitchen cabin and ask for it there.

Maybe other Asian airlines follow higher Confucian standards, but I doubt it. The court heard that Lee hurled a plastic cup at the flight attendant after asking for water multiple times but was ignored. He claimed his hands trembled at the time because he suffered from severe diabetes and needed the water to take his medicine. He nevertheless seemed to have a good and strong aim, to which his victim could testify. He said Chinese airlines always "took care of the old, weak and sick".