A video has been viral in China where a couple did not show respect to an elderly man. The video has been viewed eight million times on Douyin. The incident happened last week in Ningbo, in Zhejiang province, where a couple forced an elderly cleaner to kneel and apologise to them. The reason for their action was that the elderly man accidentally swept some rubbish onto the couple’s car.
The video enraged the public. How can someone be so disrespectful towards someone older than them? According to Jiupai News, from an anonymous local government official, the couple refused to listen to the cleaner’s explanation.
“Kneel or we’ll beat you to death”
The couple did not only force the elderly man to kneel and apologize. They even threatened him, saying, “Kneel or we’ll beat you to death.”
To not complicate things, the elderly man did what the couple told him to. At the same time, he was also scared to argue with the couple.
The company where the elderly man works with tried to give him support by locating the couple. The company hoped for the two to ask forgiveness from the unnamed cleaner.
The public in China described the couple as rude, and arrogant. Some wanted them to be punished.
Other cases where people disrespect low-income workers
This incident was not the first case where people bullied low-income workers in China.
Three years ago, a woman who drove a luxury car hit a man’s economy model car. It was her fault. However, she got out and slapped the man. She even mocked him, pointing to the car he drove as “a beggar’s car.”
Furthermore, in 2016, a 57-year-old man slapped a courier driver six times. He did this because the courier driver accidentally scratched his car.
It does not matter who we are. We should always be kind to one another. If problems occur, take time to listen and understand the situation. Handle it with maturity.