In England, the tabloid press has coined a phrase, which they sometimes use in their headlines - "Have a go hero". It refers to someone who intervenes when something threatens them, their property or the life of someone else, sometimes a stranger. The people get into the papers for one of two reasons: 1. they were able to appehend the perpetrator, make a citizens arrest and bring him to justice or 2. they got fatally stabbed by the criminal and got sent home in a body bag.
This is not the Wild West, let alone the Wild East, but this kind of incident makes me think twice in England, where I have the benefit of understanding the language and culture, so shouldn't it make me think at least twice when I am in a different culture? Different culture, different customs.
In a Hollywood movie, the crowd of Chinese people might burst into spontaneous applause as the brave foreigner squares up to the rude Chinese person, pushing his way onto the train. "Thank you sir", they would say. "Even though I was in this busy crowd, I saw everything you did, and I completely understand the English words you were shouting at that man. You and your wife were obviously the aggrieved party. You put into words everything that we, with our ingrained inability to stand up to bad manners were unable to say".
When I listen to my wife, she has some sage advice about what it is sensible to do in Chinese cities. It varies from city to city. Shenzhen is different from Guangzhou, from Changsha, from Zhongshan, from her home town. I follow her advice. Sometimes I make a point of putting rubbish in a rubbish bin. Sometimes I make a point of giving my wife a seat on a bus, even though she doesn't want it. In both cases, I am making a point to her, not to anyone else. I'm no hero.
