By Li Xing (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-08-23 07:16

An opened red umbrella became the main focus of a news photographer covering a preliminary match at a test event for the Olympics at the Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball Ground last Monday.

We did not see the spectator sheltering underneath it while the players were braving the sun to compete.

True, the temperature was soaring, but it is simply wrong to open an umbrella in a spectator's stand or an open theater, blocking the view of others. Despite the fact all spectators were forewarned about the use of umbrellas by numerous signs at the ground, some still violated the rule.

It is commendable members of the sport's governing body and the BOCOG have promised to create a cooler environment for spectators to the beach volleyball competitions next year, but clearly people's thoughtfulness will still be put to the test.

Whatever excuse spectators or others give, the red umbrella was hardly a sign of thoughtfulness.

Unfortunately such selfishness is not restricted to spectators at sporting events. It is especially annoying at scenic spots, as a colleague of mine discovered during a family outing to Sichuan to view Mount Emei and the beautiful Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve. A few people had their umbrellas opened obstructing the views of others and posing a danger.

I do not know if there are warning signs at the scenic sites in Sichuan requiring tourists to be mindful when using umbrellas. But I have found that pamphlets for tourists visiting the famous Huangshan (Yellow) Mountain in East China's Anhui Province do warn of the dangers of using umbrellas while trekking the mountain.

Sudden wind gusts or lightning could endanger the lives of not only those holding umbrellas but also people nearby.

Over the past several years, umbrellas have been a recurring theme of the media. The products' quality and effectiveness in the protection against ultra-violet rays is seldom mentioned. Several stories focused on umbrellas being used as an evaluation tool to check the honesty of individuals.

Similar to the global cell phone honesty test by Reader's Digest last month, fast-food outlets, convenience stores and parks in Shanghai and public buses in Chongqing and Jiaozuo, Henan Province, provided umbrellas to shoppers, passengers or visitors to ward off sudden rain showers.

Some charged a small deposit, while others did not. At first, the majority of the umbrellas were returned. Today, however, only a few umbrellas remain with these outlets.

A park in Shanghai tells its visitors that the free umbrellas are for use only in the park. However, one staff member lamented the fact that "some visitors enter the park through one gate and exit through another without returning the umbrella".

A bus company in Jiaozuo, however, remains persistent. It equipped every one of its fleet of 21 buses with two free umbrellas when the rainy season started in mid-July. So far, 90 percent of the first allotment of umbrellas are still in use.

The test for honesty as well as thoughtfulness will continue with the use of the umbrella, but that is not enough. It is more important for the society to make every individual feel ashamed of himself/herself for pursuing individual convenience and comfort at the expense of others.

E-mail: lixing@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 08/23/2007 page10)