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SCMP Reporter

Q Is a $1,500 fine enough to stop litterbugs?

In our present economic circumstances, probably.

As to Fred Li Wah-ming's suggestion that 'hygiene officers' (health inspectors?) be armed with pepper spray to deter offenders likely to punch first and run next, a qualified yes ... after they've been properly trained so they don't turn the nozzle the wrong way and give themselves a puff.

But now that the beefed-up fine of $1,500 for litterers and spitters is in force, what is the chief secretary's Team Clean doing about Hong Kong's most notorious litterers, the toss-it-out-of-the-window upstairs residents in thousands of residential blocks?

I have been a long-time complainant about this problem, long ignored by officials. Can the chief secretary kindly deliver a stout kick to these negative ninnies pussyfooting around with this  serious health hazard, and start a process  whereby these aerial litterers are fined $1,500. And more - considerably more - for repeat offenders, please.

The joke has gone on for decades but the laugh is on first-floor balcony owners all over Hong Kong. And, if my experience is any criterion, it seems that the government is enjoying the joke.

Geoffrey Somers, Sheung Wan

I think the fine is a little harsh but it is there to deter people from littering, so I agree with the official sum being a large one.

However, I do believe it is a large sum of money for many people, so I think for those who cannot afford it, they should be given a formal warning first and a lesser fine to begin with or made to perform some sort of community service.

The authorities can add their ID card numbers to a database and if they are caught as repeat offenders, then they should be fined the full $1,500. After all, putting a fine on littering is primarily about educating the public  and if the litterbugs were given a warning to their face, they may be less inclined to litter in the future.

Furthermore, I think what is more important is whether the government will continue to enforce the fines and educate the public. I congratulate the government for its efforts in enforcing the littering fine, but not all offences in Hong Kong are enforced and I think they should be.

For example, I believe having a dripping air-conditioner is also an offence and with a fine attached. But every single day, countless drips of dirty air-conditioner water fall on my head as I walk along public streets in Wan Chai, Central or Sheung Wan. There is no point in making that an offence if there is no one in the government to enforce it.

Name and address supplied

On other matters ...

Hong Kong has a terrific public hospital system. I discovered this about a year ago. Until then, for the seven years I'd  been living in Hong Kong, I'd always used private practice GPs. In my experience they all charged around $370 for a consultation and were mostly uninterested in giving me any attention. Time is money.

Then I had occasion to go to Queen Mary Hospital as an outpatient. Things there were in sharp contrast - the administration, nurses and doctors were so efficient and thorough. It was a wonderful experience. The $100 fee had just been introduced. It's a bargain.

But I knew being an outpatient at a public hospital was right only for certain times, and my son's mild ear infection, during a busy day, was not one of them. So, because I knew some antibiotics would do the trick, I visited a private clinic on the south side of Hong Kong island. My son was in the doctor's room for a minute. To my horror I was presented with a bill for $960. I'll never go back.

Name and address supplied

I read your report 'Hotels put out a welcome mat' with cynicism. I  arrived in Hong Kong for a two-week stay in a three-star hotel in Wan Chai. There were two people on the front desk and I had to carry my heavy bags to my room. The room was dank and musty.

After the usual argument, I was given a reasonable room. I had been unable to obtain any discounts and paid full price before departure, but the hotel offers  25 per cent off for locals. No logic here. I raised this with the  manager only to be told the hard luck story, and that the hotel would not be fully operational until April 3.

How do Hong Kong hotels expect any loyalty from their regular customers when they worship mass markets and give individuals like me a raw deal?

Jervis Whiteley, Western Australia

I read with great interest your Cab Chat column on Friday, June 20. I share  the same views as Wong Yau-sum. I am not a big fan of radio host Albert Cheng King-hon and his abrasive and abusive style, but I am a big fan of his show because it is one of the  few meaningful radio shows that contributes to the society of Hong Kong.

Honestly, I personally would avoid having to present myself before a person like him. However, for those who have decided to present themselves before him, I see no grounds for their  criticism of him, not to mention a third party like the Broadcasting  Authority.

People should be diligent enough to prepare themselves for Cheng's topic and the way he runs his show. He has been around for  a while and he has not just all of a sudden become aggressive and dominant. To be fair to him, he has conducted his show with a  consistent style over the years.

My view is, if you have a problem with Cheng's  style, you could choose not to show up. If you do decide to show up, then you had better do your homework and be ready to tell and face the truth. I would like to believe  all of those who turned up on Cheng's request for an interview did it voluntarily. Do not be a whiner and a bad loser.

I want my favourite show host back on air please. I also want the Broadcasting  Authority to explain  their grounds for warning Cheng and Commercial Radio. They owe it to us.

Chow Siu Lung, Fanling



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