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Passengers may be prohibited from eating or drinking on the Beijing subway and violators could face a fine of up to 500 yuan, according to a draft proposal outlined by the legal affairs office of the local government on Tuesday.
The debate on whether or not passengers should be allowed to eat or drink on subways has long been a popular one with the Chinese public. During morning peak time, some passengers would eat takeaway breakfasts on the packed coaches, often drawing disdain by their fellow passengers, and sometimes even leading to quarrels or fights over this matter.
In the past, those that ate or drank on the Beijing subway were just given an oral warning. Beijing's attempt to issue fines for such violators has drawn varying reactions online.
Some netizens argued that it should be acceptable to drink water on the subway, especially during the summer when passengers get thirsty more easily. Also, some said that the rule should not apply to babies.
On the other hand, the draft rule is being supported by many netizens who are becoming more concerned about personal behaviors in public spaces.
Most netizens agreed that it would be difficult to implement the punishment, since violators can easily deny that they have eaten or drunk without being proved guilty. Additionally, the issue of who has the right to issue the fines as well as where they will be allocated for spending are also concerns of netizens.
