Laws on spitting likely to stick in hackers' craws

It is a sad day when your pet peeve becomes a public health risk. But Lai See has been delighted with the past few blissful months of Hong Kong being a hack-free zone. And we do not mean Internet breaches.

The spectre of yellow-tainted sputum on the streets has impressively diminished. But that is not to say that spitters everywhere have cleaned up their act.

Hence the move by independent legislator Michael Mak Kwok-fung to really hit offenders where it hurts and put them to work in old peoples' homes.

While lawmakers debate the benefits of community service, Lai See decided to do some research on spitting and the law as it stands.

Twenty-six references were found in Hong Kong's ordinances.

You can't spit in a street or public place, correct. But things do not end there. It is actually illegal to spit in a swimming pool. It is, however, all right to spit into a spittoon next to the pool - as long as you check your gun and spurs at the door.