Ordinary Gweilo

What is it with big stupid Hong Kong companies?  They have a good idea and then they back down when just a few people complain.

First it was ParknShop.  They stopped giving each customer 3 or 4 plastic bags whether they needed them or not, and said that bags would only be available on request (with a voluntary levy of 20 cents per bag).  Yes, that’s right, a voluntary levy – they would give you free bag(s) if you requested them.  Seems fair enough, but people who wouldn’t insist on their free plastic bag were not so reticent when it came to telling everyone else how unreasonable it was. 

Anyway, faced with complaints from a few plastic bags addicts. PnS quickly abandoned this scheme

Those of a more cynical disposition felt this was all too convenient, and that PnS never really intended to implement this scheme – if they had, they would have given people advance warning and explained exactly how it was supposed to work (and where the $0.20 levy would go). Instead they have gained a lot of generally favourable publicity without doing very much.

Then it was HSBC, who announced that the minimum withdrawal from their ATMs would be increased from HK$100 to HK$300.  Cue totally predictable outcry about impecunious pensioners who would be unable to get at their money.

Uh?  HSBC offer an account with an ATM card that would still have allowed withdrawals of HK$100, and anyone with less than HK$300 in their account you could still have withdrawn HK$100 or HK$200.

How many people really need to withdraw less than HK$300?  Why should I have to wait in line so that someone can withdraw $100? 

Anyway, HSBC rapidly caved in and abandoned their cunning plan.  But, hey, we now have lovely new green plastic bags.