A family of Chinese tourists, who it is said came to Taiwan as part of a tour with a substantially higher price tag than is typical for tour groups from China, stunned staff and customers in the world-renowned Din Tai Fung dumpling restaurant by allowing a three-year-old boy to urinate in a bottle while the parents were eating at a table, the Chinese-language Apple Daily reported.
The toddler was part of a family of five tourists dining in the Michelin-starred Din Tai Fung restaurant in Taipei 101 on Oct. 2, and urinated in a plastic bottle instead of going to a restroom that was 100m from where the family were eating.
The urine splashed on food the family had bought, so they tried to get it replaced for free, but were rejected, the report said.
The group eventually paid for a new round of dishes, but reportedly complained about the extra money they had to spend “while already paying that much for the tour.”
It was said that the scene had dumbfounded customers at neighboring tables and the smell had lingered long enough to take away their appetite.
A waiter was quoted by the Apple Daily as reminding the mother that a toilet was available outside the restaurant and they would need to go there to answer the call of nature to avoid the disturbance it might cause to other customers.
“I got it, I got it,” was reportedly the response from the Chinese mother.
The tour guide reportedly kept apologizing to the restaurant staff and admonished the mother.
The incident was confirmed by the restaurant’s public relations manager, who said the area was cleaned and disinfected after the group had left the restaurant.
The restaurant, the manager said, had also had an internal discussion over the case and resolved that in the future “[any similar behavior] would be stopped as soon as possible,” the report said.
Was not sure what to think of this when I first read it. Rude? Insensitive? But then I got an 8am wake up call on Sunday morning from a delivery company for my neighbor just as the jackhammers started down the street and my other neighbor rang my doorbell because he had forgotten his keys and did not want to buzz his own apartment (he had seen me downstairs earlier so he knew I was up) neglecting the fact that maybe my girlfriend was sleeping or the neighbor across from may be still sleeping (we share the same buzzer). Fast forward two hours later on the walk to the MRT. While crossing the street a crazed delivery driver honks at and never slows down for a father pushing a baby stroller, cutting in front of the stroller to boot. Four or five illegally parked cars, two taking up zebra-crossings later I had reached my nadir with this place. After sixteen years here, I say let the mainlanders come. Taiwanese will complain 20 or 30 years down the road at what happened to this place post-mainlanders. I will respond that the true you has come home.
I am so angry about this article. Not about the crass family who let their kid urinate in a restaurant, but that the premier English-language newspaper in a country of 23 million people thinks this is a story worth reporting on. Of course they only did it because of the mainland pigs ruining out beautiful Taiwan society.
[quote=“Hokwongwei”]I am so angry about this article. Not about the crass family who let their kid urinate in a restaurant, but that the premier English-language newspaper in a country of 23 million people thinks this is a story worth reporting on. Of course they only did it because of the mainland pigs ruining out beautiful Taiwan society.
Hey, as long as there’s an opportunity to blast China or MYJ, it’s worth reporting, amirite?[/quote]
Oh please.
If one had to generalize, if one really really had to, then on the whole those from the Mothership are far more uncouth and lacking in basic civil norms than the fair Taiwanease. Why shouldn’t it be reported on? It’s a disgusting episode. Perhaps only slightly out of place in a back-street noodle bar, but in a Michelin starred eatery? :roflmao:
[quote=“Hokwongwei”]I am so angry about this article. Not about the crass family who let their kid urinate in a restaurant, but that the premier English-language newspaper in a country of 23 million people thinks this is a story worth reporting on. Of course they only did it because of the mainland pigs ruining out beautiful Taiwan society.
This is probably the worst thing that has ever happened. There are so many mainland visitors coming to Taiwan, considering all the horror stories and worries, most of them are pretty restrained. This is a non story and unfair on the mothership tongbao, methinks anyway
This is how it starts. But where will it end? How far and to what extent will Taiwan humiliate itself for the mainland dollar? Stay tuned cause we’re about to find out.
Din Tai Fung in Taipei is not Michelin-starred; only its Hong Kong restaurants are.
TT only has about 15 Taiwan-related stories a day, half screaming about how Ma Ying-jeou and the KMT are the devil. Somehow, they felt “mainlander pees in restaurant” is important enough to take one of the remaining 6 slots. I suspect some more important things are going on in Taiwan. And this isn’t even original reporting. The whole report is: “Apple Daily reported that…”
Frankly, the only thing I find shocking about the story is that Din Tai Fung (misspelled in the article, and now autocorrected by Forumosa, sigh) is Michelin-starred. Talk about diluting your brand…Michelin, that is.
The fact that two of these instances happened within a few days is almost like these two mothers got together and plotted to do this before coming to visit.
“Hey, let’s make our babies pee in public, I bet it will be over the news outlets all over Taiwan and we’ll be famous”
Saw this on the news the other night, they actually had a map of the floor showing the distance from the restaurant to the restroom.
The reporter actually walked the route and timed it.
I’m not sure what’s worse, the news itself or the reporting. You really need to time the route and show the reporter walking the route. Seriously taiwan news? Is there a thread here that lists all the garbage on the news?
[quote=“Robotea”]Saw this on the news the other night, they actually had a map of the floor showing the distance from the restaurant to the restroom.
The reporter actually walked the route and timed it.
I’m not sure what’s worse, the news itself or the reporting. You really need to time the route and show the reporter walking the route. Seriously taiwan news? Is there a thread here that lists all the garbage on the news?[/quote]
News? What news? Taiwan has news?
How many times they have shown news on yet another rice ball or beef noodle store … or any other food item that would be better and more famous then the previous? Now it’s pee for a change. Oh, that’s new(s)! :roflmao:
[quote=“Hokwongwei”]I am so angry about this article. Not about the crass family who let their kid urinate in a restaurant, but that the premier English-language newspaper in a country of 23 million people thinks this is a story worth reporting on. Of course they only did it because of the mainland pigs ruining out beautiful Taiwan society.
DD, I’m ok when the Chinese press does it because it’s just in there with all the other garbage. Apple Daily reported on this Chinese kid with an inadequate bladder, but it also reported on the Taiwanese mom who changed her kid’s dirty diaper in the middle of Starbucks with the bathroom literally right behind her. Chinese-language media spout off a thousand stories a day, most of them garbage.
English language media have the opportunity to prioritize, to choose which stories go to press and which ones are less important. And this is what Taipei Times chooses. If you asked their editor in chief what the 15 most important things were that happened yesterday, he would list “Apple Daily published a news story on some kid peeing at the dinner table.” It’s important because he’s Chinese, and anything that spurs irrational hatred of China is good in their books.
Did they really ask for their money back for the urine slashed food?
In point of fact, I favour the original posters original content far more than the story from the media. Sometimes, even after years of habituation, it just seems to drop out of the hazy sky, like a storm of shite.
Irrational hatred? A bit heavy-handed “National Security Adviser”.
“English language media have the opportunity to prioritize, to choose which stories go to press and which ones are less important.”
I think all media have that opportunity, do they not? So, why piss on the Taipei Times? If the English language media rubs you the wrong way, then just stick to the Apple Daily. And about the perps being Chinese and the shower of shit happens, think if a Swedish couple had their kid stand up on the table in a crowded restaurant and piss in every direction it would not be reported??? Take it easy, JasonBro.
I didn’t chose the National Security Adviser title, but I’ll take it.
Of course every media outlet gets to choose what it reports, but there’s a difference between the dozens if not hundreds of stories coming from Apple Daily each day and the 15 coming from Taipei Times. AD has a lot of trash, but there are some very valuable exposes and other pieces in there because they are afraid of nothing. TT just has a lot of trash.
The reason I care is because one, I work in media, and two, the way things are reported affect people’s perception of Taiwan. This country deserves a better press in both Chinese and English, but particularly in English because international agencies like AP and Reuters have largely abandoned it. That means that when people need info on what’s happening in Taiwan, they turn to local papers like TT, and all they’re going to see is why the KMT is evil and Chinese kids piss on everything. It would be like if the New York Post was the top paper in the U.S.
Now it’s pee for a change. Oh, that’s new(s)! :roflmao: