A video on Sina Weibo showing a security guard on a Shenzhen metro ordering a Chinese passenger to give up his seat to a foreigner has aroused anger among netizens.
The video starts with the security guard arguing with a passenger who had accused him of groveling before the foreigner. The guard then told the passenger to go to the station's security station.
The person being asked by the guard to give up his seat, surnamed Chen, explained that the security guard told him that he should extend Chinese hospitality to foreigners, despite the foreigner already having waved his hand to decline the security guard's offer.
The incident occurred on Shenzhen metro line 11 on Thursday.
Chen posted a video to his Douyin account explaining that he had declined to give up his seat as he had undergone surgery two weeks before, on top of working overtime recently.
After hearing Chen's reason, the guard left but shortly returned.
A passenger next to Chen questioned the guard about why Chen should give up his seat to the foreigner, and asked "are you groveling before him?" The rhetorical question somehow angered the guard.
Chen has reported the incident to the local police.
Eight hours after the video was uploaded to Weibo, the post had been read more than 140 million times and commented on by 14,000 Weibo users. Most criticized the security guard's inappropriate way of handling the situation.
One Weibo user asked what right does the guard have to ask a passenger to get off the metro?
Some netizens questioned what gave the guard the right to ask a passenger to get off a train and go to the security room? And on what grounds?
Peng Xiang Security, Shenzhen Metro's contractor for security, who is also the employer of the security guard in question, issued an apology on Friday.
Peng said the reason the guard asked the passenger to give up his seat was because he noticed the foreigner's legs were shaking and thought he was unwell. He didn't ask the foreigner as he doesn't speak English.
They were sorry that the guard gave the impression that he was groveling before the foreigner. They added the guard had got carried away by emotion, leading him to yell at the passenger and tell him to get off the train.
But netizens were not happy with the apology, some of them still demanding the security guard himself should apologize for his behavior.
