HEARD a telling story the other day from Ian Dale, Assistant Director of Marine.
He found himself facing a protest by 100 workers from the waste-paper industry. They were annoyed that he was moving them from their Kowloon Bay base to Kwun Tong to make way for the Kai Tak airport expansion.
Mr Dale learned that the workers wanted to present a coffin to him, to show how he was killing their industry.
The marine official sat in his office on the 22nd floor of the Harbour Building in Central wondering what to do with this depressing object.
He did not fancy negotiating with the protesters over it. And they could hardly use it as a table or a bench.
But at least he could get it away from the protest scene quickly. He summoned two of his men and said: ''When I give you the nod, pick it up, put it in the lift and bring it up to the 22nd floor.'' Mr Dale took a deep breath, and went outside.