On June 14, graphic photos emerged online of a female airline employee who had been bashed in the head by an impatient customer at Shenzhen’s Bao’an International Airport.
The would-be passenger, surnamed Qiu, used a sign from the airport counter to inflict some serious damage on the woman, who ended up lying on the floor in a pool of blood. Images of the gory scene were posted on Weibo by user @我是戴瑞瑞 (“I am Dai Ruirui”).
The photos were accompanied by a short message explaining that the woman had been attacked for not printing out a travel itinerary. The text ended on a note of ridicule: “…we can’t help but ask, is this a thug or a traveler?”
A reporter for the Nanfang City News confirmed with relevant airport representatives that the incident unfolded almost exactly as the Weibo user described, although a detailed report has yet to be released.
According to representatives of Bao’an International Airport, the victim, surnamed Chen, was not a local worker but an employee of Shanghai’s Jixiang Airlines. She had been on duty at the airline's counter when she was approached by Qiu seeking to print a travel itinerary on someone else's behalf.
Chen's refusal eventually escalated into a physical confrontation, with Qiu using what must have been the nearest item at hand to hit the employee.
A post from the Weibo account 'Civil Aviation Resource Net' claimed the conflict at the counter occured when Chen asked for an ID card and Qiu was unable to provide one. Apparently, this was enough to make him lash out in anger.
Jixiang Airlines, the employer of the victim, released a statement on Weibo at 4.15pm, June 14, just shortly after the shocking pictures were posted. The message explained that they had begun investigating the incident and assured readers that they would “use all possible legal measures” to ensure their workers’ safety.
According to Shenzhen Daily, Qiu has been detained for 10 days and fined RMB500 for his bloody and ruthless stunt.
Angry online commenters berated the attacker's behavior:
@鲨鳍小翅: "This kind of person shouldn’t be allowed to take airplanes for the rest of their life."
@狂爱747-LE E: "Airline services now, whether it’s flight crews or ground crews, have actually all become high-risk professions."
Unfortunately, this isn't the first report of angry customers making scenes at Bao'an Airport. In May, officials there revealed that over the last few months, they had been forced to detain several customers over similar, if less violent, displays of temper.
For the sake of airline employees everywhere, we hope the trend doesn't continue.
[Images via SZNews.com]
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