It's The Courtesies, Ma'am!

As Beijing prepares for the 2008 Summer Olympics, common courtesies are the focus of attention. For example, spitting. One cannot walk down the street without hearing a raucous hawking from the throat, then a well-aimed projectile of spit which goes, hopefully, away from any moving object, like me. Now spitting and its aftermath are not unknown to me. I remember signs all over New York warning against the consequences of spitting, like fines. Ha! These prohibitions probably started at the beginning of the twentieth century and to my knowledge the habits were never really eradicated. Yes, we eliminated the use of spittoons and few people are in the habit of openly chewing tobacco. Nevertheless, I remember seeing spittle almost everywhere I looked on the streets of New York when I worked there. It was particularly evident in the winter when one would see dripping spittle frozen in place on the steps as one ascended from the subway. Also, you don't always see the spittle, but you definitely see the spitting, if you are tuned into watching an American baseball game. Invariably, the camera will pan to the dugout and at that moment a beloved player will let go and spit right in front of the viewer. I've often wondered who has the unenviable job of cleaning up the dugout of all that spittle after the game.

Anyway, back to China. It seems the government is having a campaign to get people (I've only observed men engaging in this disgusting habit) to be more subtle in their spitting. For example, Zhang Huigang, director of the Capital Ethics Development Office, has at her disposable $2.5 million which she will use to distribute spit-bags and to hire 1,500 bus-riding supervisors to enforce good behavior.

Oh yeah, did I mention the rudeness of people riding the buses and subways? They force their way into a crowded subway car or bus without giving way to those about to exit. Of course, I've never seen this happen in any other mass transit metropolis, except San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, New York, Los Angeles and London.

Here, they don't offer their seats to "old" people, in fact, they pretend not to see them. I've found this ploy does not work with me. I just stare them down until guilt takes over and they offer their seat not only to a "foreigner" but an "old" one at that! Courtesy may be taking hold right here in Beijing and I'm on a one woman campaign to make it happen. I have to admit that I had two exemplary role models, my mother, Kay Kromer and Bob's mother, Sue Emrich!

In an effort to "overhaul their etiquette in time for the 2008 Olympics, the Beijing Spiritual Civilization Construction office's "A General Textbook on Civility and Propriety" was put together by a team of experts on 'civility and propriety.' It has been delivered to more than 4.3 million families in Beijing."

(Quoted from City Weekend Beijing Entertainment Guide, In China, by Adam Skuse.)

Should make for some good bedtime reading!

I have not yet seen any campaign against smoking in public places. Being from California, I am shocked, I tell you shocked, at the amount of smoking that goes on in restaurants, offices and other public areas of Beijing. (Again, I rarely see women smoking). Something must be done. I'm thinking of launching a campaign to make this a bell weather city of China. No more spitting, smoking or being rude to "old" people. Who knows, it could set a trend for the rest of the country, like California did for the U.S.A.