A woman in labor was forced off a bus by the driver and other passengers in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, because they couldn't bear the smell of her amniotic fluid. The poor migrant worker finally gave birth to a girl in the street. Being poor shouldn't deprive a person of dignity. And the driver and passengers had no right to humiliate her, instead of driving her to the nearest hospital as fast as possible, says an article in Youth Times. Excerpts:

The tragic incident reflects the prevailing social attitude toward the poor. Some people have always been prejudiced toward the less advantaged. Those who discriminate against others are not necessarily rich. Many middle class people are prejudiced, too.

The story of the migrant worker who didn't want to soil the bus seat and chose to sit on the floor should shame us all.

We don't know whether the poor couple will have the courage to tell their daughter about their "embarrassment", or what the girl would feel about a society that forced her to be born in the street.

The incident shows how indifferent people have become to others' suffering. The migrant couple must have had a lot of faith in the goodness of people before taking the bus, but they were let down by the driver and their fellow passengers. What does it take to show some affection to a helpless woman in labor?

(China Daily 08/18/2011 page9)