The so-called wealth gap is not associated with the way Hong Kong presents itself to the rest of the world. We bill ourselves as Asia's world city - a thriving trading and shopping hub with world-class financial markets and the best professional services in Asia. No suggestion there of a poor underclass.
But that is not the impression conveyed by images broadcast yesterday. These were of people being knocked down when a queue for free bags of rice for the poor turned into a stampede. To make it look worse, many of those involved were elderly people. This is a regrettable state of affairs.
The images do no credit to our city. Allegations that the elderly concerned are effectively being abused are, however, a little misleading. The scenes at Tsz Wan Shan occurred at one of the free rice handouts as part of the Yue Lan, or Hungry Ghost, festival. It is a tradition thought to bring peace and good fortune to recipients. It means a lot to some older Hongkongers who came here as penniless refugees.
People began queueing patiently at 2pm on Monday for an event that began at 8.30am yesterday. But some lost their patience and good humour and began pushing and shoving when directed inside a playground for the handouts.
They had endured many hours in both hot sun and rain. Some apparently feared losing their place in the queue if they dared to take a toilet break.
There is plenty of room in our society for charity, and long-standing community traditions are worth preserving. But there is always room for common sense too. There was not much in evidence from the organisers of this particular event. The queues and the problems associated with them have become something of an annual embarrassment for Hong Kong.
