Rant: Beach bummers
We Hongkongers have become so sensitive about mainland tourists having a tinkle on the street or flicking away a cigarette butt it seems everyone has turned into a total hygiene Nazi.
So imagine my surprise, and that of my fellow Shek O residents, every Saturday and Sunday during summer when we take a sunset stroll along the shore and find our beach - our home - completely trashed by day trippers.
Where did all this rubbish come from? We didn't see any buses packed with mainland tourists streaming into the village. Did it blow in from over the border; a typhoon made of Vitasoy cartons, Bonaqua bottles and Calbee crisp packets?
Nope. All this crap is left behind by many of the same people who pounce on the slightest cleanliness infraction by mainlanders and whinge on local web forums about the uncivilised behaviour of their cousins from up north.
On behalf of my neighbours, I'd like to ask the Leisure and Cultural Services Department to add a call for people to clean up after themselves to the non-stop public service announcements about bans on frisbees, dogs and the like (in three languages, no less) made at Shek O beach. We also need signs and for the HK$1,500 fine for littering to be enforced.
However, please note; all of the above doesn't apply to sunscreen. You're all welcome to keep leaving bottles of that in the shower blocks.
It's expensive and we enjoy the free supply.
