Chinese ban spitting for Olympics

canada.com ^ | 04/14/07 | AP

[Ellesu]

BEIJING - Residents were reminded again: Spitting must stop, starting now.

With the 2008 Beijing Olympics less than 500 days away, officials say they are prepared to take harsh measures against people who spit in public if appeals do not work.

"Very soon you will see action to stop spitting," said Jin Dapeng, director general of Beijing's municipal health department. He hinted that fines might be involved.

Residents say the habit is a reaction to Beijing's dirty, dry air.

Bad manners have been a constant worry for Chinese officials.

At a discussion panel on the subject, one adviser, Zi Huayun, listed four key bad habits of Chinese: spitting, not waiting in line, widespread smoking and swearing in the Beijing dialect.

Dirty toilets and rudeness were added to the list by He Huixian, vice-president of the Chinese Olympic Committee.

[Cicero]

“Swearing in the Beijing dialect” is something up with which I will not put.

[dfwgator]

I guess this means that there won’t be baseball in the 2008 games.

[mkjessup]

I can hardly wait to see the updates over at:

http://www.engrish.com

[martin_fierro]

Chinese ban spitting for Olympics

I expect the boxers to rebel.

[kinsman redeemer]

I was in a Beijing restaurant and I took a picture of my friend across the table. It wasn’t until I got the picture processed that I realized I caught a glimpse of a huge wad on a vector right behind my friend. I saw public spitting all over the place - indoors and out.

[kinghorse]

I guess I can quit training. Do you think they’ll bring it back for 2012?

[Baladas]

So I guess it’s true that spitting is a big social problem over there, I had no idea either. “Dirty, dirty air”?

[Wingy]

No they don't use spittoons. They use the floor, the sink, or any other surface they see. I was eating in an upscale restaurant in Nanjing and noticed a small boy (Maybe 8 or 9) rising from his table to spit in a potted plant. He happily sat back down and no notice was taken. This nasty habit is all inclusive in this society. I was walking down the street and noticed a young girl with her mother. She was cute as a button until she cleared her throat like a sailor and let fly.

I was there working on a large machine and we had to put tape around it and name it the "No Spitting Zone" to keep the mechanics from kneeling down in someones flem.

PS. Don't even ask about the restrooms....Yuck!

[wolfcreek]

They will treat the *spitters* like stray dog......beat them to death in the street.

[hardworking]

Do they use spittoons in China I wonder. Chew Mail Pouch?

The answer to both is a resounding ‘no’ and what they are spitting is even more gross than tobacco, and unlike tobacco, TB is spread through the habit. They fail to mention one other little ‘habit’ and that is the, shall we say depositing, of nose material on any convenient wall, including inside ones house.

Ah-h-h-h more multiculturalism.

[panaxanax]

The author forgot to add to bring your own food.

[ribosomal soup]

Ah-h-h-h more multiculturalism.

This has nothing to do with multiculturalism, but education level and wealth. No Chinese philosopher, monk, writer or artist has ever told people to spit everywhere. Very few educated Chinese spit in the public. If you go to a Chinese university, no one (not the student nor the professor) spits at all.

The problem is that education level throughout China is still very low. For every 10 million educated, there are 100 million uneducated. But hopefully that will greatly improve in the next few decades.

[Quick or Dead]

China is just keeping the Olympic spirit alive after the fashion of these guys.

[mikrofon]

Prior Olympic venues used to just prohibit street vendors from hawking their wares...

[Cvengr]

"officials say they are prepared to take harsh measures against people who spit in public if appeals do not work."

That makes me so mad I could spit! ;^)

[stephenjohnbanker]

China.....”the loogie-free country”

[blam]

My Chinese (2nd generation) friend just returned from China. With disgust, he said, “you wouldn’t believe how these people spit all the time.”