Diners secure quiet table for four ... on the Shanghai metro
Photograph of foreigners tucking in, wine in hand, from a foldable table on Line 11 sparks mirth and criticism among internet users in China
A group of foreigners in Shanghai chose an unusual location last weekend for an impromptu feast - the metro.
In a viral photo posted on Friday evening, four foreigners are seen eating bread and drinking from wine glasses on Line 11 on the city’s metro, which runs from the Disney Resort to close to Shanghai University’s Jiading campus and on to Suzhou.
The photograph posted on social media also shows a small foldable table on the floor of the subway car, displaying napkins, glasses and plates near the group’s feet.
Eating on the Shanghai Metro is discouraged under the city’s transport regulations, but the code of conduct is not legally binding so the foreigners are unlikely to face any type of punishment.
Shanghai lawmakers considered introducing regulations to ban eating and drinking on the metro in late 2013, but scrapped the plans after a public backlash.
Social media users were quick to react to the viral photograph, with some condemning the foreigners’ behaviour.
“This is extremely bad!” one person wrote. “Hopefully, they’ll quickly investigate this and hand out an appropriate penalty!”
Others poked fun at the incident, with one user commenting: “This is deceiving! On Line 11, everything on the table would fall to the ground when the train comes to a stop.”
Another joked: “They’re just missing some music to have a disco, party people.”