Tempers have been running short at Shenzhen’s Bao’an International Airport as volatile summer weather causes more and more flights to be delayed.
Airport security officials have vowed to reporters that they will be coming down harder on disturbers of the peace in the coming months, hoping to discourage bad behavior.
Since March, nine people have been detained by airport security for unruly conduct. Eight were held for periods of time ranging from 3-10 days, while one was placed in criminal detention. Anyone who has spent a significant amount of time in a Chinese airport has probably witnessed the kind of scenes that have been taking place: customers arguing violently with – and even yelling at – helpless airport staff.
In one particularly bad case at the beginning of May, a would-be passenger, surnamed Chen, lost his temper at the person behind the counter for departure gate 53. Chen knocked over a container of food that had been resting on the counter and, when a police officer tried to deal with the situation, a person by the last name of Ju threw mineral water at him or her.
Both were escorted from the scene by police. Chen was detained for 10 days for causing a public disturbance, while Ju got a lighter sentence of five days for interfering with police.
Unfortunately, unruly scenes at the airport are becoming something of a yearly event in Shenzhen, as increasingly unpredictable weather causes delays.
In order to deal with customer discontent, the airport security team plans to step up its measures. One of its members encouraged passengers to “strengthen their awareness of the law” and avoid yelling, hitting, and other illegal behaviors.
READ MORE: Things Get Messy in Shenzhen Airport After Weekend Flight Delays
[Images via Forgemind ArchiMedia, Ifeng.com]
0 User Comments