Last Week in Viral News
We take a look back at the local news that spread like wildfire.
Dec 5, Sat: At 11am, a 43-year-old man who lives in a Tsuen Wan private housing estate heads to the building management office and complains about the smell coming from the food waste collection point below his apartment. The incident escalates into an argument and the man goes to the estate’s podium level, climbs over the fence and stands on the planters, threatening to leap from the building. Police and firemen arrive and inflate a rescue mattress below him. After two hours of negotiation, the man comes back to safety without incident. The estate had already planned to install more exhaust fans to reduce the smell.
Dec 6, Sun: A video circulating online shows two Putonghua-speaking women arguing with an MTR staff member. According to the person who filmed the video, the two women were seen teaching their children to jump over the ticket gates to avoid paying. When the station staff member comes over to object, the women start to shout at him. Netizens criticize the women for being shameless and unreasonable.
Dec 7, Mon: A photo of a blackboard outside a restaurant in Tai Po advertising a “pig-opening show” causes a stir online. Netizens question the purpose of such an event, saying that while tuna-cutting by a Japanese chef might be treated as a work of art, butchering a pig would not be quite so delicate.
Dec 8, Tue: At around 3am, a young couple has an argument in a North Point street. In the middle of the argument, the woman hails a taxi and tries to leave. The man chases after her and begs her to get out of the car. When she refuses, he picks up a nearby object and throws it at taxi’s rear windshield, shattering it. The girl gets out of the taxi and the couple flee the scene together.
Dec 9, Wed: At around 4am, a 57-year-old man is found floating in the sea by Kennedy Town. A passer-by throws him a lifebuoy and nearby boats help rescue him. When questioned by police, the man explains that he had been chased by ghosts all the way from Kwun Tong to Western, where he was forced to jump into the sea to hide. Police suspect the man of suffering from mental illness.
Dec 10, Thu: At around midnight, a middle-aged man walks into a 7-Eleven in Aberdeen asking for a pack of cigarettes. When the cashier tells him that the brand is sold out, he asks if he can buy another pack for $45. The cashier says that the cheapest brand is $55. The man angrily uses his umbrella to sweep everything off the counter, claiming he is a triad member. He breaks the display of the cash register and destroys two credit card readers. He calls out “I’ve swept up this time, and I’ll come back to sweep up again!” and runs away. Another cashier chases the man, who punches him in the mouth and leaves by taxi. Police have yet to locate the assailant.
Dec 11, Fri: At 11pm, a drunken baker gets off a bus in Tuen Mun and falls into the street. An auxiliary police officer tries to help the man, who pulls out a revolver and brandishes it. The officer restrains the drunk man and calls the police, who arrest him. They discover that the revolver is a BB gun which the baker uses to scare the rats out of his bakery.
