The Bus Uncle

The incident took place aboard a Kowloon Motor Bus route 68X bus en route to Yuen Long.

Elvis Ho expels Roger Chan and the press, rejecting the press-arranged meeting and demanding all reporters to hand over their business cards.

Poster of an event by Capcom, capitalizing on the tagline of the clip, which may be translated as "I have pressure! You have pressure!"<ref name="CNNrp" /><ref name="MM" /><ref>" Three men beat up Hong Kong's 'Bus Uncle' " , The Star (AP) , 2006-06-08 . Retrieved on 2007-05-06 . </ref>]]

The famous quotes of Chan are now frequently used, mimicked, and parodied in Hong Kong, particularly by teenagers.<ref name = "Problem">"

   The Bus Uncle reveals many problems with society (巴士阿叔揭示社會問題) 
     
 " , Ta Kung Pao , 2006-05-28
 
  . Retrieved on 2007-04-27
 .  (Traditional Chinese) 
  </ref><ref name = CRHK>   "Afternoon segment".
   
     香港幾咁好　為人民服務 (Commercial Radio Hong Kong).
      2006-05-23.
 
  </ref> A radio talk show host of Commercial Radio Hong Kong mentioned an incident involving his friend, a teacher, and his students at the end of an examination. When the time was up, a student yelled, "It's not settled! It's not settled!" (Chinese: "未解決！未解決！"), refusing to stop writing. Only when another teacher replied, "You may be stressed, but so am I," (Chinese: "你有壓力，我有壓力！") did the student agree to stop.<ref>The sentence was a common misquotation. The exact phrasing, which is grammatically incorrect, was the other way round, "我有壓力，你有壓力！"</ref><ref name = CRHK/>

The catch phrases appear on Internet forums, posters, and radio programmes.<ref name=hot> 長鬚 ("Long Beard")

  . 
 "
   "大熱! 巴士阿叔效應" ("Hot! Bus Uncle Revealed!") 
     
 " , Apple Daily , May 19, 2006
 
  . Retrieved on 2007-03-25
 .  (Traditional Chinese) 
  </ref><ref name="WSJ" /> Various music videos have been created using the catch phrases, including pop,<ref name="WP" /> karaoke, rap, dance and disco remixes.<ref name="CNNrp"> There has also been parodies of an apology, "reenactments" of the incident with video game characters, composite pictures, movie posters, and versions involving Darth Vader and Adagio for Strings.<ref name="WP" /> On May 28, 2006, this incident was mentioned on the main evening news on TVB, as well as Cable TV news.<ref>Modèle:Cite video</ref> Merchandise such as cartoon T-shirts and mobile phone ringtones have also been produced and sold on the Internet.<ref name=hot/><ref name="WSJ" />

In June 2006, TVB television made a parody of the Bus Uncle video in promoting its coverage of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, featuring its sports commentator Lam Sheung Yee (林尚義), whose voice resembles Chan's, on a bus playing the role of the Bus Uncle. In the advertisement, a passenger sitting behind Lam Sheung Yee (played by Lam Man Chung) questions whether Lam Sheung Yee feels pressured for his responsibilities in the upcoming World Cup, which would be his last TV appearance before retirement. Turning around, Lam replies that there is no pressure and emphasises the issue (i.e. the viewers' demand for World Cup coverage) has been resolved. The passenger then offers to shake hands with Lam Sheung Yee, calling for a truce.<ref>Modèle:Cite video </ref>

In addition, sitcoms of ATV and TVB imitated the video in argument scenes. In episode 67 of the TVB sitcom Welcome to the House, the young bespectacled main character tried to stop a man from talking too loudly on the mobile phone in the cinema. As a result, he was harshly rebuked by the man. Once his family knew about the incident from a video uploaded on the Internet, they taught the character to be more assertive and not to allow himself to be bullied. In the end, he was able to stand up to the same man when they met again in the cinema and remove him from the premises.<ref> "人善人欺欺不欺".

       Welcome to the House (高朋滿座).
        2006-07-11.
 
 No. 67, season 1.
   Transcript. 

Modèle:Zh icon </ref>

Closer look at life in Hong Kong

Although many found the video humorous and entertaining, others warned that it hinted at a more alarming and sinister prognosis of life in stress-filled Hong Kong, particularly inside buses, nicknamed "flying cars of death"<ref name="WSJ" /> and other overcrowded areas. The fact that Chan was runner-up "Person of the Year" announced by Radio Television Hong Kong indicated that it might have struck a chord with the general population.<ref name="Person of the Year"> DeGolyer , Michael

  . 
 "
   Commentary: The power of the people 
     
 " , Hong Kong Standard , January 4, 2007
 
  . Retrieved on 2007-03-23
 . </ref> There was support for Ho's desire for a lower volume as well as sympathy for the stress felt by the "Bus Uncle."<ref name="Person of the Year" /> Others maintained that Chan's actions were atypical of etiquette in Hong Kong.<ref name="WSJ" />

To Kit, a well-known columnist and broadcaster, commented about the incident on Commercial Radio. He described Chan's behavior as "noise raping" and said that the incident was a manifestation of underlying social tension as well as the mindset of a common "Hongkonger." He criticised Ho's speechlessness as being too weak, likewise a stereotype of present-day Hong Kong youth. In addition, he noted that the incident implied that harmony in the neighbourhood was somehow upset.<ref> "巴士怒坑".

     光明頂.
        2006-05-23.
 
   Modèle:Zh icon</ref>

Lee Sing, director of the Hong Kong Mood Disorders Centre at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, warned that Hong Kong's high-stress working environments are spawning a city-full of "Bus Uncles." Lee estimated that one of every 50 grumpy Hong Kongers suffers from intermittent explosive disorder,<ref name="CNNrp" /> turning one into a "ticking time bomb" of rage and violence.<ref name="explode"> Law , Niki

  . 
 "
   City full of 'bus uncles' just waiting to explode: experts
   
 " , South China Morning Post , 2006-05-28
 
 . </ref>

Journalism professor and internet expert Anthony Fung Ying-him also attributed the popularity of the low-resolution video of a "trivial event" to the emotional climate of the city.<ref name="explode" /> While other viral videos are favoured by specific demographics, this one spread widely due to its universal<ref name="alongfor" /> expression of "the true feelings of ordinary people."<ref name="CNNrp" />

On the other hand, Ho Kwok Leung, an applied social science lecturer at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, held that attention surrounding the video reflected the boring lives of Hong Kong people. With few interesting topics to discuss, they savour the pleasure of spreading information to a vast audience and the creation of Internet memes. Furthermore, the banning of the use of some video catchphrases in certain schools made the incident more appealing. This lifestyle, according to Leung, is fertile ground for the cultivation of a "video clip culture".<ref>"

   Scholar: Boring lifestyles lead to a video clip culture (學者﹕生活苦悶 造就小片段文化)
   
 " , Ming Pao , 2006-05-26
 
 .  (Traditional Chinese) 
  </ref>

Civic awareness concerns

Ah Nong (阿濃), a popular literary figure and artist in Hong Kong, believed that the incident highlighted the apathy of the common Hong Kong people. He emphasised that during the heated exchange between Chan and Ho, not a single bystander came to Ho's aid. He recalled an incident a few years back where he confronted a man smoking on the lower deck of a bus and was scolded for the rest of the journey. He said it was useless to complain to the bus driver who would not bother to waste his time, let alone the other passengers. Ah Nong argued that in such a society, a person can be accused of wrongdoing despite good intentions.<ref> 阿濃 , Ah Nong

  . 
 "
   Dispute on the Bus (車上糾紛) 
     
 " , Ta Kung Pao , 2006-05-30
 
  . Retrieved on 2007-06-08
 .  (Traditional Chinese) 
  </ref>

Apple Tse Ho Yi, minister of the Hong Kong Christian Service, carried out a survey of 506 students over the age of 12 about the Bus Uncle incident and civic awareness in general. Of the respondents who claim they regularly encountered people speaking loudly on the phone on buses, only 47 percent said they would intervene by talking to the phone user or alerting the driver. Reasons for inaction include fear, apathy and inability to solve the problem. On civic awareness, the majority of the respondents did not consider chatting loudly on the phone to be wrong. Tse concluded that the current generation of Hong Kong young people have poor civic awareness, and it is natural that disputes often occur due to inconsideration.<ref name="survey"> Benjamin , Wong

  . 
 "
   Only half of youngsters would give phone pests and earful
   
 " , South China Morning Post , 2006-06-01
 
 . </ref><ref>"
   Youngsters mostly dislike spitting (港青年最憎隨地吐痰行為) 
     
 " , Ta Kung Pao , 2006-06-01
 
  . Retrieved on 2007-06-08
 .  (Traditional Chinese) 
  </ref>

Ng Fung Sheung, a social science lecturer of the City University of Hong Kong, explained that Hong Kong people tend to chat loudly in public places. She attributed this phenomenon to the television screens found in many vehicles and trains, which broadcast programmes at high volumes. She suggested that the government should provide better civic education for the public to make them more considerate of others. When it comes to schools which banned the usage of catch phrases like "I'm stressed!" Ng stated that teachers must be able to distinguish whether the students really face pressure or are simply following the trend, and provide guidance if necessary.<ref name = "Problem"/>

Criticism of Hong Kong media ethics

Some denied that any social insight could be gleaned from the video clip, arguing that the frenzy was artificially created by sensationalist newspapers in order to boost circulation and profits. Clement So York-kee, Director of the School of Journalism at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, warned that methods to uncover the incident between Chan and Ho "did not seem to … [involve the] traditional practice of news reporting."<ref name=alongfor> Lam , Agnes

  . 
 "
   Along for the ride
   
 " , South China Morning Post , 2006-06-03
 
 . </ref> For example, several media outlets offered rewards on unmasking Bus Uncle's identity. In late May 2006, a group of journalists and photographers initiated and followed Chan's second meeting with Ho. After Ho's refusal, they brought Bus Uncle to a dinner and karaoke session.<ref name="MM" /> Although the session was widely reported, many believed it was artificially created news and unworthy of front-page attention.<ref>"
   由巴士阿叔，到星島造新聞實錄 ("From the Bus Uncle's appearance to the fabrication of news by Sing Tao") 
     
 " , 香港獨立媒體 , 2006-06-01
 
  . Retrieved on 2007-04-27
 .  (Traditional Chinese) 
  </ref> 

Ta Kung Pao stated that the Bus Uncle incident tested the professionalism of the Hong Kong mass media, its editorial noting that Chan sought remuneration for interviews and made many extraordinary claims about himself which were published without verification. The editorial concluded by advising journalists not to fabricate news, but instead to emphasise the verifiability of stories and consider carefully whether an incident is newsworthy.<ref> You Jin , 尤金

  . 
 "
   The coverage of the Bus Uncle should come to an end (「巴士阿叔」新聞應告一段落) 
     
 " , Editorial , Ta Kung Pao
  , 2006-06-02
 
  . Retrieved on 2007-06-13
 .  (Traditional Chinese) 
  </ref>

Others held that the frenzy was not the product of a media conspiracy, but rather a reflection of the public's curiosity and Hong Kong's competitive consumer-driven media market.<ref name=alongfor/> The situation also allowed camera phone marketers to highlight the potential comedic value and draw attention away from privacy concerns.<ref name="MM"> Patrick Lejtenyi

  . 
 "
   Bombs and Bus Uncle 
     
 " , Montreal Mirror , June 8–14, 2006
 
  . Retrieved on 2007-05-06
 . </ref>

References

External links

• Fong , Wing Hang

     (2006-04-29)
   
.    X尚義聲線高壓呀叔搭巴士途中問候後生仔 (the original "Bus Uncle" video) 
 (Cantonese) 
. YouTube 
   

.

• Fong , Wing Hang

     (2006-05-11)
   
.    巴士阿叔 - Bus Uncle (雙語字幕 - Bilingual Subtitles) 
 (Cantonese and English subtitles) 
. YouTube 
   

.

• 香港網絡大典 (The Bus Uncle Incident) at the EVCHK Wikia Modèle:Zh icon
• 「巴士判官」的啟示．一 Modèle:Zh icon
• 「巴士判官」的啟示．二 Modèle:Zh icon
• 「巴士判官」的啟示．三 Modèle:Zh icon
• 巴士少年接受經濟日報訪問! (The 'Bus Youngster' Interviewed with Hong Kong Economic Times!) Modèle:Zh icon at the HK Golden Forum

Modèle:DEFAULTSORT:Bus Uncle Modèle:Featured articlefr:L'Oncle du bus ja:バスおじさん zh-yue:巴士阿叔 zh:巴士阿叔事件