Recently, many areas in Shandong Province have been experiencing prolonged high temperatures. A Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) store in Dongchang District, Liaocheng, Shandong, has become a hotspot for elderly individuals seeking relief from the heat, sparking controversy. The local authorities’ response to this situation has been criticized by the media for being irresponsible.
In a recent video captured by a netizen in Liaocheng, Shandong, several elderly people were seen occupying seats inside a KFC store. The footage showed the elderly gathered together chatting, playing cards, or either lying down or sitting on chairs to rest, without making any food purchases. Many netizens in the comment section expressed that such behavior significantly impacts business operations.
On July 20, Red Star News reported that when contacted, the staff at the establishment mentioned that due to the hot weather, many elderly people come to the store to cool down after having breakfast, and the staff can only communicate with them to minimize the disruption of other customers dining.
The community office of Liuyuan Street, to which the store belongs, responded by stating that the elderly individuals seeking relief is a voluntary action, and as the store operates independently, the primary approach currently relies on persuading them by the store staff.
In response to this, an article by Jimum News criticized the street office’s statement as being irresponsible, suggesting that relevant departments should actively address the restaurant’s dilemma. “Just because the elderly’s actions are voluntary and seeking relief from the heat is a necessity, it doesn’t mean that it should be overlooked. It is advisable to proactively persuade them to prevent disputes and conflicts. If there are reports of disturbance at the restaurant, the relevant authorities should actively protect the legal rights of the restaurant.”
Simultaneously, measures need to be taken locally to provide more cooling spots for the elderly, guiding them towards designated places and reducing interference with the normal operation of businesses. It might be beneficial to encourage real estate agencies, pharmacies, and various other shops to be more accommodating to the elderly. This approach not only helps establishments cultivate a positive community image but also serves as a bridge for communication between businesses and local residents.
The article emphasized that the issue of elderly individuals occupying seats in restaurants without making purchases and affecting other customers’ dining experiences is a reality. Combined with some uncivilized behaviors and clustering together, the restaurants seem to have inadvertently become public relief spots for cooling down. It’s essential to stress that, on one hand, the elderly have a need to escape the heat during high temperatures. On the other hand, businesses are operating entities and are not obliged to accommodate such activities. Allowing such actions is a gesture of goodwill, whereas prohibiting them is a matter of propriety. Ideally, the elderly should actively cooperate by eliminating uncivilized behaviors, offering seats when there are customers present, and minimizing their occupation time, responding to goodwill with goodwill, to ensure the restaurant’s normal operation is not disrupted.
The “elderly occupying seats in KFC” topic has become a trending discussion among a large number of netizens.
Netizen “I Really Can’t Think of It” expressed: This reflects the lack of social venues for the local elderly population, which fails to meet their needs. It is necessary to plan public social spaces for this demographic and evaluate the effectiveness of the current home-based elderly care policies in various villages.
“Winsomegun”: With the increasing average lifespan, a large number of elderly individuals require proper accommodation and upgrades in roads and public facilities. It ultimately depends on whether the government prioritizes the issue of the elderly.
Some netizens also noted that this phenomenon is not limited to Shandong, as similar incidents have been reported in Shanghai where elderly individuals gather at KFCs to play cards and discuss various societal issues.
Shandong continues to experience scorching temperatures, with reports of some university students in non-air-conditioned dormitories suffering from heat-induced dizziness, signaling another recent hot topic event.
Jimum News reported that a student at East Sea Campus of Nanshan College in Yantai mentioned that the high temperatures have persisted for several days, with the dormitories lacking air conditioning except for a small hanging fan which provides minimal relief, blowing hot air due to the high temperatures. They only rely on taking showers to cool down, stating, “After a shower of less than 20 minutes, I’m already covered in sweat again, I barely slept past 2 am last night, and woke up feeling hot at 6 am.”
The student also revealed that many classmates visit the campus supermarket to enjoy the free air conditioning, but due to dormitory doors being closed at night, they can only stay at the supermarket until around 9 pm. Another student mentioned that currently, there are no additional cooling measures in their dormitories, forcing them to endure the heat at night. Recently, there have been cases of students unable to withstand the high temperatures and suffering from heat-induced dizziness, subsequently requiring ambulance assistance.
In response to these incidents, staff at the East Sea Campus of Nanshan College in Yantai stated that indeed some students have experienced heat-related dizziness.