Chinese tourists on SIA flight tried to keep cutlery

[Mike P 0]

Chinese travelling to Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand are reportedly the latest to show bad behaviour overseas.

IN the latest controversy involving Chinese tourists, a group of mainland travellers surprised Singapore Airlines (SIA) staff when they refused to hand over 30 sets of stainless steel tableware during a recent flight, Chinese media reported.

It was only after repeated warnings from a tour guide that the passengers agreed to hand them back to flight attendants, South China Morning Post reported, citingQianjiang Evening News.

The Chinese passengers were on a tour of Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. While onboard the SIA flight, they had intended to keep the stainless steel knives and forks provided during a meal, the report said.

It was not clear when the incident took place. According to the report, the tourists were mainly from a small town in Zhejiang province.

The flight attendants told the tourists the stainless steel tableware could not be kept because it was going to be re-used – unlike plastic disposable items.

But the tourists refused to hand it over. They said that relatives who had flown with SIA in the past told them they could keep the tableware, the report said.

The astonished flight attendants then asked a Chinese tour guide for help. The incident finally ended when the tour guide told the tourists they were hurting China's image abroad.

"Stop hurting the reputation of Chinese people," he said.

The travellers then handed back the tableware, the report added.

The incident follows a number of reports this year on bad behaviour overseas by Chinese travellers. This includes a widely reported incident where a Chinese boy carved his name on a 3,000-year-old precious relic during a trip to Egypt.

This prompted China's deputy premier Wang Yang to state publicly that Chinese tourists should improve their behaviour overseas. – The Straits Times, Singapore/Asia News Network

http://www.thestar.com.my/Travel/Asia/2013/08/29/Chinese-tourists-on-SIA-flight-tried-to-keep-cutlery.aspx

Not really a big matter, isn't it? I used to take few as souvenirs from MH flights too, and passengers also keep the blanket.

[S V Choong 4]

Quite a few Malaysians did that during the 80's - 90's but thought it was a bit silly as they tableware has probably been used by many people for so many times.

 

It is best for SIA just to offer these items for sale

[Josh T 0]

Mainlanders! They are the only one's who could be so bold and refuse to return things that they have obviously stolen. Lots of people take cutlery but they are much more subtle about it.

[zeqa 1]

 

hahaha. when the pack of cutlery comes with the food- I usually take the small spoon only & the butter. hehehe..

[Cire 0]

Chinese tourist's bad behaviour is infamous all over the world, unfortunately. I have encountered many of them whether locally or abroad. After awhile, you just get used to it and laugh it off. However, we seldom mention about their spending sprees. Wags of monies, long queues at money exchange stalls, luxury goods purchased like nobody's business, and more recently, Chinese are grabbing (buying) properties in Malaysia while on tour ! How's that for amazing Chinese?

[BC Tam 2]

Even more amazing - they the Chinese were poverty stricken not too long ago, within my lifetime for sure

I remember of old clothing being collected to be sent back to 'sugar mountain' monetary donations etc

No doubt though there are still pockets of poverty there, but things change, thankfully

[Johan Z 0]

hahaha. when the pack of cutlery comes with the food- I usually take the small spoon only & the butter. hehehe..

Me too.

[KK Lee 5]

Chinese tourist's bad behaviour is infamous all over the world, unfortunately. I have encountered many of them whether locally or abroad. After awhile, you just get used to it and laugh it off. However, we seldom mention about their spending sprees. Wags of monies, long queues at money exchange stalls, luxury goods purchased like nobody's business, and more recently, Chinese are grabbing (buying) properties in Malaysia while on tour ! How's that for amazing Chinese?

 

Tour operators were paid by developers to bring Chinese tourists to property sales office like souvenir shops.

[Mike P 0]

I believe some days the Chinese tourists could improve themselves. It's a shame for me too since I'm a Chinese, though not from mainland China.

 

Back in year 2010 when I was on the MH flight to TPE from KUL, my parent did ask the flight stewardess if the blanket could be kept as souvenir. Guess what? The flight stewardess said if you asked me, then can't, if you didn't ask me, then can.... LOL. So MH won't really bother or stop the passengers taking the blankets or cutlery then.

 

But of course, taking the life jack is definitely a big fat no!

[David.W 0]

Im guilty of having a SQ and MH cutlery set in my home... (knife, fork and spoon) This was pre 9/11 and I was still small travelling with my parents on holiday

Edited August 30, 2013 by Tan Hao Ming

[Naim 6]

I love the blankets -- thin and light, but warm.

[Mike P 0]

I love the blankets -- thin and light, but warm.

 

MH's or SQ's?

[Kee Hooi Yen 0]

I like the air sickness bags too

[Azman MN 1]

I love the blankets -- thin and light, but warm.

 

Yeah, whenever I have visitors from Malaysia who come to Europe for a backpacking trip... I tell them to try and keep the blanket they get on the way here because it is very useful for overnight train rides etc.

[Isaac 0]

Quite a few Malaysians did that during the 80's - 90's but thought it was a bit silly as they tableware has probably been used by many people for so many times.

The main difference is that when Malaysians are caught, most of them won't reason or argue with you and will probably just return everything they took unlike many Mainland Chinese that will just tell you, bite me!

 

 

I love the blankets -- thin and light, but warm.

The new purple one is even better.

[Naim 6]

I'm doing D7 premium soon -- maybe a red blanket?

[Cire 0]

Why don't airlines offer for sale such things to passengers? Or perhaps the passsengers will feel too embarassed to buy such things for fear of being seen as juvanile..? Or maybe the passengers thought it was their right to take it since they have paid so much for air tickets ?

 

As for the blanket, just buy it off Ikea..not expensive. Light and warm, and most of all, its legal.

[Johan Z 0]

Who wants to buy them if anyone can put them inside their bag quietly? BTW, MH blanket is better than CX and QF.

[Naim 6]

Who wants to buy them if anyone can put them inside their bag quietly? BTW, MH blanket is better than CX and QF.

 

I agree on the MH vs CX bit.

[flee 5]

I'm doing D7 premium soon -- maybe a red blanket?

Its also available in black.

[JingKai Seah 0]

I am guilty of MH purple blanket ehehehe

[Teo 0]

haha i take those cutlery too (had a few of MH,SQ,TG,BI cutlery pieces i.e. small teaspoon mainly in my home but it was from years ago).pre 9/11 even the knife also take haha,after 9/11, the FA requested the knife and fork back due to 'safety hazards'

[KK Lee 5]

When BA was ceding LHR-KUL years ago, a reason cited was about 30% (if my memory haven't fail me) of cutlery became souvenir on this route (the highest in their network). At that time, BA just introduced a new set of cutlery.

[S V Choong 4]

Even more amazing - they the Chinese were poverty stricken not too long ago, within my lifetime for sure

I remember of old clothing being collected to be sent back to 'sugar mountain' monetary donations etc

No doubt though there are still pockets of poverty there, but things change, thankfully

Haha I love your term "sugar mountain". Although the words for Tang Dynasty and "sugar" sounds the same in Chinese, but they meant two different worlds.

 

One similar thingI have heard of is from some wesrernised Chinese who is not Chinese literate was referring China as "big green". As the word green and continent sounds the same (but appears and meant different things). Upon hearing this I almost fainted.

 

The main difference is that when Malaysians are caught, most of them won't reason or argue with you and will probably just return everything they took unlike many Mainland Chinese that will just tell you, bite me!

 

The new purple one is even better.

Well all I can say is this is a Chinese thing. Some do not own up to their mistakes. They just keep doing what they have done wrong, attempting to make a wrong to a right thing. This is true regardless where they come from. The 'face' thing and 'sorry' seemed to be the hardest word ever coming out of their hole in the face. The difference is to which extent they will take it to. Edited August 31, 2013 by S V Choong

[Rozhan 0]

Airlines should just take this as a form of advertising. The logo on these things will remind them to fly SQ again next time.