Pilloried on websites and in media across the mainland and Hong Kong, accused of wrecking the city's reputation as a tourism destination and afraid to show her face in public for two weeks, the guide caught on video berating tourists for not spending enough finally stood up yesterday and said 'sorry'.
Li Hau-chun, who was seen telling the group that if they didn't pay in this life they would do so in the next, said her outburst had been provoked by a customer who used 'strong language' to complain about being steered into shops as part of the tour.
'At that time I was very angry and I couldn't control my emotions,' said the thirty-something divorced mother-of-one who came to Hong Kong from Hubei a decade ago.
The woman whose outburst recalled that of 'Bus Uncle' four years ago - when a phone video of a middle-aged man haranguing a bus passenger became an internet hit - looked startled as she apologised.
Surrounded by dozens of journalists and cameras in a crowded room, Li, dressed in a black blouse, blue jeans with a Louis Vuitton belt and high-heeled sandals, said: 'First of all, I want to say I'm very sorry. I hope our Hong Kong citizens and mainland comrades will forgive my mistake and the misunderstanding.'
She said she had been hiding for two weeks because she did not have the courage to face the public.
