Police regret 'wrong news' in snack case
By Xu Chi |
December 6, 2012, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
POLICE in Hunan Province yesterday apologized yesterday for publishing the "wrong news" about a villager who was detained for his role in a street dispute with vendors of a popular snack known as qiegao.
Police in Yueyang City yesterday apologized for publishing the "wrong press release" and made a correction to Xinhua news agency, saying the villager, surnamed Ling, who was caught on Monday, had "damaged 16 motorcycles, destroyed 2.76 tons of qiegao and injured two of the 16 street peddlers in the dispute."
The total economic loss including medical expenses for the victims was 152,000 yuan (US$24,400) with the 2.76 tons of qiegao valued at 96,600 yuan, police told Xinhua.
The original police press release said Ling had destroyed qiegao worth 160,000 yuan.
Qiegao, a sticky rice cake with a layer of walnuts and peanuts, is usually sold by vendors from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Netizens were quick to pick up on the case and said sellers have a reputation for "price scams and forced buying." Many said they had been forced to pay several hundred yuan for a tiny slice of qiegao.
Ling reportedly had a quarrel with the vendors when purchasing the snack "due to a language barrier."
According to the corrected press release, he then fought 16 vendors, which netizens said they didn't believe.
Some who posted comments asked whether Ling had "kung fu skills or superpowers to fight 16 men alone and cause such damage" while others wondered how the "motorcycles could carry so much qiegao."
Police have yet to respond to these queries.
Some netizens appealed to law enforcement teams to crack down on the vendors so the price scams would stop.
Many posters said they had in the past been charged too much for the snack.
"The vendor said he charges 5 yuan for every 500 grams, but he cut a tiny little slice of the cake and told me to pay 150 yuan," a netizen posted on a microblog. "He then told me I misheard the price as he charges 5 yuan for every 50 grams. I didn't want to pay but I did after seeing the shiny heavy knife he was wielding."
Many others said they had a similar experience and in most cases they chose to pay the money as they feared the vendors, who usually carried knives, worked in groups to intimidate customers.
Other netizens made jokes, saying the snack is now a "luxury" to show off one's wealth.
Police in Yueyang City yesterday apologized for publishing the "wrong press release" and made a correction to Xinhua news agency, saying the villager, surnamed Ling, who was caught on Monday, had "damaged 16 motorcycles, destroyed 2.76 tons of qiegao and injured two of the 16 street peddlers in the dispute."
The total economic loss including medical expenses for the victims was 152,000 yuan (US$24,400) with the 2.76 tons of qiegao valued at 96,600 yuan, police told Xinhua.
The original police press release said Ling had destroyed qiegao worth 160,000 yuan.
Qiegao, a sticky rice cake with a layer of walnuts and peanuts, is usually sold by vendors from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Netizens were quick to pick up on the case and said sellers have a reputation for "price scams and forced buying." Many said they had been forced to pay several hundred yuan for a tiny slice of qiegao.
Ling reportedly had a quarrel with the vendors when purchasing the snack "due to a language barrier."
According to the corrected press release, he then fought 16 vendors, which netizens said they didn't believe.
Some who posted comments asked whether Ling had "kung fu skills or superpowers to fight 16 men alone and cause such damage" while others wondered how the "motorcycles could carry so much qiegao."
Police have yet to respond to these queries.
Some netizens appealed to law enforcement teams to crack down on the vendors so the price scams would stop.
Many posters said they had in the past been charged too much for the snack.
"The vendor said he charges 5 yuan for every 500 grams, but he cut a tiny little slice of the cake and told me to pay 150 yuan," a netizen posted on a microblog. "He then told me I misheard the price as he charges 5 yuan for every 50 grams. I didn't want to pay but I did after seeing the shiny heavy knife he was wielding."
Many others said they had a similar experience and in most cases they chose to pay the money as they feared the vendors, who usually carried knives, worked in groups to intimidate customers.
Other netizens made jokes, saying the snack is now a "luxury" to show off one's wealth.
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