Beware of travellers carrying umbrellas on planes
Travellers from Beijing to Hong Kong over the weekend were puzzled when passing through security at Beijing Airport to be asked repeatedly if they were carrying umbrellas in their hand luggage.
Travellers from Beijing to Hong Kong over the weekend were puzzled when passing through security at Beijing Airport to be asked repeatedly if they were carrying umbrellas in their hand luggage.
Now we know that some airlines do not allow umbrellas on board unless they are of the folding type. But we have never heard of anyone being asked if they are carrying a folding umbrella in their hand luggage.
Could it be that Hong Kong's Umbrella Movement has hit a nerve within Beijing airport's security apparatus and anyone carrying an umbrella is to be viewed with suspicion as possibly subversive?
Unfortunately we were not able to discover what draconian measures were imposed on those discovered carrying umbrellas. Would they merely be confiscated or would discovery involve interrogation? Would a yellow umbrella carry a more severe penalty?
Not for nothing are umbrellas now referred to as WMDs: Weapons of Mass Democracy.
We're beginning to get seriously alarmed by developments at Cathay Pacific. Not, thankfully, by the way the aircraft are operated, but on account of the silly marketing that appears to have become a regular feature.
A reader starts her email with a reminder of 's recent unflattering comments about Cathay's so-called "new design philosophy": On the subject of "cringe-making drivel that makes you wonder about some parts of the airline, I received a birthday greeting from the Marco Polo Club on Saturday." She was then invited to click on a video, which showed three very elegant young women in Cathay uniforms camping it up to fun music while they make a little birthday cake, which of course has a personalised finish in the form of our reader's name on the cake. In the blurb accompanying the explanation of the philosophy, Cathay's marketing manager says, "We are looking closer at every step along the customer journey, the overall experience and the touch points where our brand can resonate."
Readers may recall that in August we wrote that the owner of 17 Bowen Road wanted permission to tear down 113 trees to build a road to the property, which at present does not have road access.
The plan was rejected by the Town Planning Board on September 12. However, such is the skewed nature of the planning procedure, the developer is allowed to have another go at the TPB and has asked for a review of this decision despite having submitted no changes to the original plans. This means objectors need to galvanise themselves again and write to the TPB reiterating their objections and say why the green belt is important to them. The deadline for objections is November 14.
We gather that the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal has witnessed an unusual amount of activity recently. This alas has nothing to do with a sudden surge in visits by cruise liners.
This is because the Wine and Dine Festival relocated there from the New Central Waterfront on account of its proximity to the Umbrella Movement occupy zone. Some 130,000 attended the event in the first three days despite the change of venue.
Perhaps the terminal should be renamed the Booze Terminal rather than Cruise Terminal. It may be more successful than by trying to attract cruise ships.
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