Culture of bullying?
(Baonghean) - Let me start with a story that happened to our family a few weeks ago.
At an airport, after checking in, while waiting for the take-off time, my child cried because he was hungry. Afraid of being late, I hurriedly went to the canteen counter to ask for a cup of hot water to make milk. Unfortunately, although I tried to explain the situation, very urgently, even somewhat begging, the saleswoman still insisted on "not serving" (her words). Knowingly, I offered to buy a cup of hot water, but the answer the owner received was still "No sir, almost out, we have to save it to make coffee for customers". The situation was quite unexpected, the only choice left for me was to order a cup of coffee with the request to have the hot water separately. Of course, the saleswoman was completely happy to... "serve". So for the first time in my child's life, he had a cup of milk, and the price of the hot water to make it was up to 30 thousand VND!
The story of the milk cup being “overpriced” haunted us throughout the journey. Not only was we concerned about the insensitive behavior of a girl in her early twenties, but it was also the manifestation of something even bigger. Could it be that the market mechanism had instilled in them the blood of “all for money… spending” to forget and lose all compassion? Probably not. Countries with developed market economies like Japan seem to not have this problem. I had to console myself, well, 30 thousand dong for a passenger on any plane is not too much. Well, they were there and had to pay taxes, rent, pay workers and a hundred other things, but… forget it! Well, I tried to forget until I saw the price tag for a bowl of pho, approximately 100,000 VND, proudly hanging at the airport lounge food service counter, where just a few fences away you can buy up to 4 bowls!
As a matter of routine, after successfully “locking” passengers into the so-called waiting room with a security barrier, a series of flight delay announcements were made one after another with the same familiar monotone voice. Someone once sarcastically called our airlines “Sorry airline” and was truly “reasonable”! Perhaps only those sitting here waiting for the plane have enough time to imagine whether “inviting” passengers to come early to wait for hours in that exorbitant instant noodle room is a form of a cartel to take advantage of us? This answer will be left to those involved. Just know that a few days ago, even the Standing Committee of the National Assembly had to bring the issue of instant noodle prices at the airport to the parliament. I wonder how many countries in the world have parliaments that discuss such matters right at the dinner table? And it is only right to be concerned, “The National Assembly belongs to the people”! Can we just let the people continue to be in such a miserable situation?
An online newspaper has reflected quite fully through an article like this: "A bowl of pho with a few slices of thinly sliced beef and a bottle of Coca Cola costs over 115,000 VND; A bowl of minced beef spaghetti costs 160,000 VND; A can of Heineken beer costs over 106,000 VND... Those are typical "expensive" food items at the service counters in the quarantine area of Tan Son Nhat International Airport".
Expensive is out of the question, too expensive, unimaginably expensive, and unbearable. The question is why is it so expensive? According to the "contractors"' roundabout explanation, it's because the price here can't be like outside! Why can't it be like outside? Please stop being so secretive, say it bluntly: it's not like outside because customers don't have the right to choose like outside. It's expensive, but if it were a few times more expensive, they still have to eat! That's it! And you're still making excuses like the high rent? Sorry, who set the rent??? Without those restaurants, the air conditioner in there wouldn't work, right? Let me tell you, if you want to eat pho for 30k in an air-conditioned room on the street... there's plenty! So what's causing such price gouging? If it's not bullying, then what is it? No one demands that the airport has to be sold like on the sidewalk, but it's just enough, don't pickpocket other people so rudely and offensively. The National Assembly has taken notice, and it is said that the policy of immediate price reduction has also "permeated" down to the "waiting room". The price seems to have decreased a little, a little is precious, but how long will that "little" last? The people sincerely thank the National Assembly Standing Committee for even the smallest matters of people's lives, avoiding the worry of a "stone thrown into a pond of duckweed" outcome. It is difficult to end this "instant noodle" management style if there is still a lack of a fundamental control mechanism.
Everyone is afraid of losing money unjustly. But the biggest fear is not just losing money! The vague but bigger fear is the "clue" to form a habit, a way of thinking, a way of behaving that can affect society - taking advantage of others! I heard that in 2013, under too much pressure from public opinion, the companies doing business in the airport agreed to reduce the price of each bowl of pho... 5,000 VND! It sounds funny! Why is that so strange? Or can everything fly up to the sky at the airport?
Nguyen Khac An
