Foreigners Wine and Dine on Shanghai Metro, Netizens Outraged
By Bridget O'Donnell
It's sure been an interesting week for the Shanghai Metro. Earlier today, Line 1 suffered delays thanks to a stray bunch of balloons...
... And last Friday, Line 11 passengers were treated to this spectacle:
Yep, that's a crew of foreigners throwing a picnic on the Metro, complete with a foldable table, glasses of wine, paper plates and a baguette. Bon appetit!
According to QQ News, the unnamed diners weren't detained by police because while eating on the Metro is strongly advised against, there apparently aren't any official rules prohibiting people from holding picnics in the cars.
Netizens are already outraged over the feast, with many condemning the foreigners' behavior on social media. Some of the 12,000-plus commenters on the Global Times' Weibo account wondered how the group was able to bring knives onto the Metro.
They aren't the first ones to perform such a stunt either. Last year, a bunch of video bloggers went viral after filming themselves dining, hanging up their clothes and generally making themselves at home on the Guangzhou Metro.
Netizens were none too pleased with that stunt either.
As for today's Line 1 delays, rush hour commuters saw their precious commute times float away this morning after a bunch of balloons got entangled in the subway's electrical wires.
According to Shanghai Daily, trains riding along the section of the track from Fujin Lu to Hulan Lu (covering five stations) were forced to reduce their speeds at around 6.30am because of the errant balloons, which were spotted near Gongfu Xincun and Baoan Highway. Interval times suffered as a result.
Around an hour later, at approximately 7.30am, the affected area expanded from Fujin Lu to Tonghe Xincun — six stations in total. Nearby stations also suffered from congestion as a result.
Operators say the balloons were finally removed and detained by authorities at around 8am, during which interval times went back to normal. No word yet on whether the inflated, helium-filled objects will be charged for disrupting public order.
Operators also politely reminded passengers not to use balloons near the Metro's electricity grid, especially those with metallic foil coating, which can cause power shortages.
To read more about the video bloggers who dined on the Guangzhou metro, click "Read more" below.