126Likes
A while back I mentioned in a post about how HK has this obsession with rules, rules that sometimes seem to have very little purpose and make little to no sense. I should now add there is also an equal obsession with the enforcement of such inane rules. Little Hitlers in uniform, drunk with their own power, from some power hungry bureaucrat or police officer to some lowly security guard, barking and screaming at people for tiny and minor infractions of no consequence, is a common phenomena in Hong Kong.
And this intolerance or inflexibility to people seeking a little more...breathing space in this city is well stated by a HKFP columnist, this time on HK's strange and twisted obsession to stamp out playing in the public. She states how there is this authoritarian mindset that any bending of the rules, however small or insignificant, will lead to the collapse of their whole regime. She cites the example of some officers harassing an old man playing an erhu to some guards screaming at some skateboarders as examples. She ask why those people, playing a musical instrument or skateboarding, is seen with such hostility in this city.
She also implies that the lack of room for play in the city, which is seen as a child's right by UNICEF, will lead to serious mental issues. Repression by the authorities may have stopped the protests and activists voicing disapproval on the streets...but it may well create adverse consequences down the road for this city's citizens, if people are not allowed to enjoy simple pleasures in life, to make life more bearable in this high stress city, then they will break at some point, however resilient they otherwise might be.
People need an outlet for dealing with the pressure of life's ups and downs, and play is a core element in relieving such pressure, both for children and also adults too. And for children, play is not just for fun, but is also important to their development as humans, their values and how to relate to other people. If HK's inane rule enforcers forbade play as well, that does not bode well for this city's next generation:
https://hongkongfp.com/2022/02/02/wh...tough-on-play/
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07-02-2022, 06:42 PM #1
The city where playing is a crime
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07-02-2022, 07:32 PM #2
You underestimate the tolerance of Chinese people. Our bloodline went thru all kinds of wars and famine. You think lack of minor leisures/pleasures will "break" us lol. Just looking back 2 generations, I would not be able to stomach half of what my grandparents went thru.
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07-02-2022, 07:46 PM #3
Kwun Tong promenade
You can catch covid if you go inside the taped off areas LOL
50 Mil$$ fountain taped off for what??
No sitting allowed
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07-02-2022, 07:47 PM #4
If you want to smile and be happy, you're are in the wrong fecking country.
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07-02-2022, 07:59 PM #5
“Little hitlers in uniform” I like that one
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07-02-2022, 08:05 PM #6
Scissors beat tape. Then they come back with that orange netting. Which makes a nice hammock accessory for most climbing frames. The kids around here are pretty resourceful!
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07-02-2022, 08:45 PM #7
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07-02-2022, 09:03 PM #8
The closure of outdoor spaces has really been baffling to me. HK has seen the worst of it but it's happened elsewhere as well. I'll never forget seeing video of a loan surfer getting arrested in southern California. Of course HK will be the last to give it up. Sad state of affairs.
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07-02-2022, 09:10 PM #9
One of the reasons why my children are happier in UK. Our local park has football pitches, basketball courts, zip-wire, skateboard area, sand pit, giant slides & *shock horror* swings with no cage/body armour.
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07-02-2022, 09:23 PM #10
This obsession with rules finally rid the city of singing aunties in Mong Kok and now the Central Promenade which was ruined by them. Offenders will be prosecuted.
I do, however, miss the buskers. But where does busking end and annoyance begin. That's, I think, one of the problems. HK is a society where if there is a loophole or poorly enforced law everyone will suddenly use the loophole.
Originally Posted by Coolboy:
