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Tuesday, 26 February, 2013, 11:01am
Outrage after Chinese men on Air France flight take wine bottles 'to go'
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One of the men who took eight bottles of wine from an airline service cart, as posted on Sina Weibo. Photo: SCMP Pictures
Two Chinese men on an Air France flight recently shocked their fellow passengers by snatching eight bottles of wine from the airline service cart, ignoring objections from other travellers on board.
Wen Fei, a Chinese woman who works in Paris, wrote on weibo, China’s Twitter-like service, about her encounters with the two men who sat near her on flight AF132 from Paris to China’s central Wuhan city on Friday.
Wen said she tried to stop them after they each took at least eight bottles of wine and stowed them in their bags - without asking the flight crew.
“I explained to them it was not OK and interpreted the flight attendents' explanation in French, but they said it was none of my business, ” Wen told SCMP.com on Tuesday.
The two men, apparently drunk, then shouted at Wen in the Wuhan dialect, she said.
“They asked me to back off if I ever wanted to leave Wuhan in one piece,” said Wen.
The pilot later interfered and asked the men to stop fighting with Wen, she said.
“This kind of behaviour is demeaning for the Chinese travelling abroad,” she said.
Wen also posted a picture she had secretly taken of one of the two men. The photo shows a middle-aged man wearing glasses and well-dressed.
Wen’s post struck a chord with many netizens who said they, too, find the behaviour of some Chinese travellers appalling.
“The Chinese are always loud and jump queues to get on a flight – even when everyone has a seat,” said a netizen.
“They are used to ‘stealing’ from people in China and now they start applying that habit elsewhere,” commented another netizen, implying the two men might be powerful Wuhan officials.
The identities of the two men remain unknown.
Air France didn’t respond to the South China Morning Post’s request for an interview on Tuesday.
In a separate incident in China’s southwestern Yunnan province, a local CPPCC member and businessman, Yan Linkun, was caught on camera throwing a temper tantrum and smashing an airport check-in counter after he missed the deadline for boarding.
Yan has apologised to the airport and was suspended from his work, said reports from Chinese media.
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jasonbrus@yahoo.com Feb 26th 2013
6:32pm
6:32pm
on second thought, this story DOES NOT make sense!
Ms Amy Li said two chinese males, each took (stole) eight (8) bottles of wines (that's 16 bottles altogether) and stuffed the wines into their bags.
1. a case of wine is 12 bottles, and you are saying 16 bottles, 750 ml bottles, "from the cart"? the cart is not big enough to carry 1-2 cases of wine roving up and down the aisle. are you sure? i fly a lot, never saw service cart carry more than four 750 mL bottles of wine at any time and you are saying the guys took 16 bottles? (you really believe everything you read on the net? -:)
2. if Ms Amy Li meant each man "stole" 16 tiny 50 mL bottles (*standard on flights) that's 800 mL of wine, a little more than a standard 750 mL bottle of wine. BIG DEAL!! a regular drinking pax consumes half a bottle on long distance flight.
is taking the wine crass? sure. low class? may be. but so are people over drinking on flight... definitely not uncommon in any country, not just chinese...
calm down guys/gals. what this story is about, even if it's true, two chinese guys took about 750 mL of wine (a standard wine bottle). the carrier considers this a non event so they didn't bother to respond to SCMP. i wouldn't. for a bottle of wine and some rude passengers?!!!
doesn't make sense. if the math ain't work, you must acquit! -:)
Ms Amy Li said two chinese males, each took (stole) eight (8) bottles of wines (that's 16 bottles altogether) and stuffed the wines into their bags.
1. a case of wine is 12 bottles, and you are saying 16 bottles, 750 ml bottles, "from the cart"? the cart is not big enough to carry 1-2 cases of wine roving up and down the aisle. are you sure? i fly a lot, never saw service cart carry more than four 750 mL bottles of wine at any time and you are saying the guys took 16 bottles? (you really believe everything you read on the net? -:)
2. if Ms Amy Li meant each man "stole" 16 tiny 50 mL bottles (*standard on flights) that's 800 mL of wine, a little more than a standard 750 mL bottle of wine. BIG DEAL!! a regular drinking pax consumes half a bottle on long distance flight.
is taking the wine crass? sure. low class? may be. but so are people over drinking on flight... definitely not uncommon in any country, not just chinese...
calm down guys/gals. what this story is about, even if it's true, two chinese guys took about 750 mL of wine (a standard wine bottle). the carrier considers this a non event so they didn't bother to respond to SCMP. i wouldn't. for a bottle of wine and some rude passengers?!!!
doesn't make sense. if the math ain't work, you must acquit! -:)
AntonyfromSilic... Feb 26th 2013
5:50pm
5:50pm
There may be payback already; my last time in Paris, at a sidewalk cafe, a mainland couple grabbed the elbow of a waiter to get his attention from another table. After the very short conversation the waiter and staff then purposely ignored the couple for the remaining 45 minutes I was there....
jasonbrus@yahoo.com Feb 26th 2013
5:50pm
5:50pm
allow me to relate two of my own... just two although these are very common on US domestic flights, a huge headache for business fliers...
1. i was flying from Miami to LAX. a fat white guy (not sure of his nationality although he spoke in a midwest accent) brought on a double pounder, a small pizza, a double size coke, cheetos and other snacks (names i don't even know). for the next four hours i was subjected to the bad aroma of his fast food and continuous eating. as we deplaned at LAX, i saw ketchup sauce on his XXXL size T shirt.
2. i was on a flight from Denver to San Francisco. the little kid behind me (a blond boy, no more than 10 yrs old, not sure of his nationality) keep kicking my seat back. after 30 minutes of having my back kicked continuously, i went to the flight attendant politely asked for intervention. the attendant told the boy and his mother to stop the kicking. it worked for a while until an hour later the kicking resumed. i requested seat change but the flight was full.
these were just common flying experience here in good ol' USA and i would not be jumping to conclusion calling the male foodist, the kicking boy and his mother "shameless" or "ugly" let alone tag them as "american this and that". there are good people and ugly people everywhere. if we do a blog about "ugly china men", let's in the name of "fair and balance", also see some "ugly american" or "nasty britain". do they still teach "fair and balance" reporting at Mizzou?
1. i was flying from Miami to LAX. a fat white guy (not sure of his nationality although he spoke in a midwest accent) brought on a double pounder, a small pizza, a double size coke, cheetos and other snacks (names i don't even know). for the next four hours i was subjected to the bad aroma of his fast food and continuous eating. as we deplaned at LAX, i saw ketchup sauce on his XXXL size T shirt.
2. i was on a flight from Denver to San Francisco. the little kid behind me (a blond boy, no more than 10 yrs old, not sure of his nationality) keep kicking my seat back. after 30 minutes of having my back kicked continuously, i went to the flight attendant politely asked for intervention. the attendant told the boy and his mother to stop the kicking. it worked for a while until an hour later the kicking resumed. i requested seat change but the flight was full.
these were just common flying experience here in good ol' USA and i would not be jumping to conclusion calling the male foodist, the kicking boy and his mother "shameless" or "ugly" let alone tag them as "american this and that". there are good people and ugly people everywhere. if we do a blog about "ugly china men", let's in the name of "fair and balance", also see some "ugly american" or "nasty britain". do they still teach "fair and balance" reporting at Mizzou?
pflim040@netvig... Feb 26th 2013
3:48pm
3:48pm
it is indeed a shame to all Chinese in the world, especially those live on Mainland China where greed and dishonesty have both become a norm of lifestyle or a symbol of moral decline, to be sure. Rising as the No.2 world economic power and the No.1 military power is nothing if her wealth doesn't bring along with civilized manners in public places, especially in foreign lands ! How can you expect other nationalities to respect you if you don't respect yourself/ yourselves ? These two guys from Wuhan are a shame to themselves and all Chinese indeed !
fcaruso Feb 26th 2013
3:25pm
3:25pm
Savages. That's what we call them. The Chinese have their own terms for them too.
crbfile Feb 26th 2013
1:52pm
1:52pm
1- the two men taking the bottles were taking advantage, but probably not breaking the law. the wine is free, but within reason, so it is a gray area. Gray area is in fact a typical Chinese profit area.
2- China is certainly not suitable for democracy. SO everyone just drop it and forget it.
2- China is certainly not suitable for democracy. SO everyone just drop it and forget it.
theChopSueyMan Feb 26th 2013
12:47pm
12:47pm
Ashamed to read such articles ... Grow up mainland officials! If you truly love your Party, you would not make such demeaning spectacles of yourselves - with great power comes great responsibility (words from a comic book but so true) ....
ninacheung Feb 26th 2013
11:50am
11:50am
Why didn't the airline contact authorities and have the two men arrested for theft upon arrival in Wuhan?
newgalileo Feb 26th 2013
11:36am
11:36am
The good thing about the "ugly Chinese" incidents is that other Chinese people react, in one way or the other. Education needs to start with the people. Way to go. Otherwise, what can you expect of the image of Chinese travelers in the eyes of the world, with over 80 million going abroad last year?
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