Last Week in Reality
Last week's news in bite-sized chunks. Illustrations by Ryan Chan and Elane Tang
Sat 29
E-Chicken The Siu Sai Wan market reopens after a $25 million renovation. New features include being able to pay for pork from the butcher with an Octopus card, an Octopus-ready fruit vending machine, and a poultry butcher called “i-Chicken.” The new poultry service allows customers to choose a chicken from the Chai Wan market via webcam and pick it up in Siu Sai Wan 30 minutes later.
Sun 30
Screw You A woman is eating a slice of golden crispy roll cake when she bites down on something which turns out to be a slightly rusty 5.5mm screw. She calls the customer hotline of the chain she bought the cake from and sends them messages online, but gets no response. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has also yet to reply to her complaints.
Mon 31
What Boars Two men are arrested for animal cruelty after killing a wild boar in Sham Shui Po. One of the men was accustomed to eating wild boar in China, so when he saw one wandering near his home on Sunday, he called two other friends to help capture and kill it. A patrolling policeman sees them and takes note of their car’s license plate as they flee, but it is too late for the boar. The third man is still at large.
Tue 1
Granny Bashing A 28-year-old woman is charged with assaulting her mother-in-law. The older woman allegedly went to her daughter-in-law’s Hung Hom flat on August 4 and the two quarrelled. The younger woman sat on the older woman and elbowed her in the chest, then tried to pull her off the sofa. The younger woman’s husband captured a video of the fight on his iPhone, and the video will be presented as evidence. The woman cries as she pleads not guilty and the case is adjourned until Sep 29.
Wed 2
Put on the Red Dress Two triad members are arrested with 24 mainland women on pimping, prostitution and anti-pornography charges. The prostitution ring used a mobile app to communicate with clients, and undercover officers posed as clients on the app to gather intelligence. Police seize a large number of condoms and costumes, including uniforms of Red Army soldiers.
Thu 3
Swap Shop In a shop in Mong Kok’s Sincere Podium, a woman steals an iPhone 6 Plus by swapping it with a dummy phone. She uses a jacket to cover the real phone, switching it when the salesperson is not looking. A person matching her description has been reported as pulling the same scam in other shopping malls around town. The owner of another phone shop identifies the thief’s husband, but he claims that they recently divorced and she left him heavily in debt.
Fri 4
Turtle Cove A man is sentenced to three months in jail for stealing giant tortoises and turtles from a Yuen Long pet shop in July. The defendant stole an Aldabra giant tortoise worth $55,000 on July 30, then went back the next day to steal more of the same species as well as an East African leopard turtle, altogether worth more than $40,000, but he was caught in the act. He says he wanted to bring the first tortoise home as a pet, but when it kept hitting its cage and making noises he released it into the Hong Kong Wetland Park and returned to the shop for more.
