A mainland tourist has sparked online criticism after saying, “Can’t I just pay the fine?” during an interview about a littering case in Sai Kung during the Labour Day Golden Week holiday.
The incident took place at Ham Tin Wan, where a visitor was fined HK$3,000 by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department for dumping food waste while camping.
During a media interview, a companion of the fined tourist said: “I think it’s ridiculous” and “Can’t I just pay the fine?” while smoking. The comments quickly went viral online.
The interviewee was later dubbed the “pay-the-money guy” by netizens, who also criticised his smoking in a public place.
A social media account claiming to be the interviewee later appeared, alleging that the footage was “selectively edited” and taken out of context, and accusing Hong Kong authorities of “double standards.”
The post said the interview was intended to defend a newly met friend, a mainland university student born in 2004, who had allegedly disposed of food waste near a public toilet while cleaning cooking utensils. He said AFCD officers had allowed him to smoke before the interview.
He described the student as inexperienced and said he had erred as a result, adding that there was no clear “no littering” signage near the public toilet.
He also accused AFCD officers of failing to display proper identification when issuing a fixed penalty notice and of not offering Mandarin language support.
The post further alleged unequal enforcement, claiming foreign tourists’ dogs were seen defecating without action being taken.
However, the explanation drew widespread criticism online, with many netizens rejecting the argument.
Some questioned whether the absence of warning signs would justify dumping rubbish elsewhere, with comparisons such as “Does that mean you can dump rubbish at someone’s door if there is no sign?” and “Does the absence of a ‘no robbery’ sign mean you can rob a bank?”
Others criticized the claim that a 22-year-old should be treated as a “child,” arguing that adulthood carries responsibility and ignorance is not an excuse.
The post has since been removed.
𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓
