Woman's background not pertinent to price she must pay for slap

A FEMALE PASSENGER slapped the face of an airport employee in Tianhe Airport of Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, on Thursday, when the female employee refused to allow her to check in for an Air France flight because she was late. Beijing News comments:

The incident was actually settled after Zhang was detained by the police for 10 days according to the Security Administration Punishment Act. However, Air France then blacklisted Zhang, and the airport's management has decided to apply to the Civil Aviation Administration of China to blacklist her as well. If approved, Zhang would not even be able to take a domestic flight.

The airport's punishment bid certainly goes too far. Once on the CAAC's blacklist, she will most likely to be banned by all airlines in China. This punishment would be too heavy and unfair, and is suspected of infringing upon Zhang's rights and interests as consumer.

Zhang has already been punished according to the law for her misconduct, which she immediately regretted and apologized for as soon as she calmed down. The CAAC, as a public service provider, must consider the ban request prudently. Otherwise, passengers will be left in a vulnerable position, and have no chance to defend themselves in the face of the industry's own "law", even if they have borne the legal consequences for any bad behavior.

Also, the airport is wrong in exposing in their news releases that Zhang has a doctorate from a prestigious university in Wuhan.

Zhang's personal background, which is by no means related to her misdeeds, has become a focus for many people who want to pour their hostility toward the elite and for those wanting to vent their anger on an educated female.

Is the ensuing harassment of Zhang and her family part of the penalty she deserves?

When the airports misbehave, who turns up to punish them and for how long will they be made to pay the price? This is the question.