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Subscribe to RSSBEIJING – Exasperated passengers everywhere have at some point felt like lashing out over the frustrations of modern air travel. One prominent member of China’s Communist Party acted on that urge recently to the undoubted dismay of airline workers but the delight of many online viewers.
In a video that went viral over the weekend, Yan Linkun, a deputy chairman of a mining company and a member of a Communist Party political advisory body in Yunnan, is seen smashing up a gate counter at Kunming Changshui International Airport.
Shanghai Daily reported that Yan, his wife and two 10-year-old sons missed their 11 a.m. flight to the southern Guangdong city of Shenzhen on Feb. 5. The family was put on another flight at 1 p.m. the following day, only to miss that one as well after they went for breakfast and didn't hear the boarding announcement.
That’s when hostilities kicked off.
Airport surveillance video leaked to local Chinese media on Friday shows Yan’s reaction to the news that he and his family had missed the second flight.
A minute into the video, Yan pushes against the gate’s glass door. He then slaps his hand on the counter, yells and grabs a computer keyboard and hurls it at the screens.
Yan continues to throw equipment at the counter, and at one point tries to kick down the gate door. Seemingly immobilized airport security personnel and a growing crowd is seen watching the rampage.
His wife, whose name has not been reported, also gets in on the act, and smashes what appears to be a coffee cup midway through the video.
Despite the tantrum, the Shanghai Daily reported that airport police in Kunming were still investigating to determine whether Yan would face any criminal charges.
The paper also reported that Yan had apologized to the airport’s deputy manager, telling him, “My irrational actions and rudeness have caused some losses to the airport as well as bad effects to the public, so I sincerely apologize to the airport and public. I am willing to compensate."
Yan also explained he and his wife had reacted angrily because they were in a hurry to get their children back to school in time for the end of the New Year holiday, the newspaper reported.
That contrition reportedly wasn’t good enough for his bosses. Yan’s employer, Yunnan Mining Corp., suspended him.
The local Communist People's Political Consultative Conference -- one of the regional advisory boards to China’s ruling Communist Party -- was considering whether to impose some kind of punishment, Shanghai Daily reported.
NBC News tried unsuccessfully to contact Yen and Yunnan Mining Corp. to get their version of events.
On China’s Twitter-like service, Weibo, users were quick to joke about the meltdown and to ask how in the world Yan had ever risen to become a CPPCC member.
“I suggest that Yan smash an airplane next time so that he can show his real power as a CPPCC member!" one sarcastic user wrote.
Others dismissed the tantrum as the privilege of China’s new moneyed elite.
“That's just how a rich man acts,” wrote one user, “He who has wealth speaks louder than others."
New Communist Party boss, Xi Jinping, has taken a tougher stance against Party corruption and poor behavior since taking power late last year.
A series of high profile anti-graft and corruption campaigns have brought down a number of officials across China and approval from mainland Chinese eager to see systemic corruption stamped out.
NBC News’ Grace Huang contributed to this report.
Related:
China's anti-corruption drive hits New Year Sales
Chinese official booted after account of lurid affair emerges
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10 years hard labor for the whole family. We can't have people smashing computer monitors in front of children.
He screwed up and missed the plain while taking too long eating breakfast. Then he threw a tantrum that a three year old would have been ashamed of that ends up causing problems for the people around him. Now everybody knows him for the idiot that he is, he has lost his job and all of the political clout he might have built up. Then there are people in this discussion that suggest that they should use him as a role model.
Now that’s aiming high.
Yeah, that'll get him flier miles....
Don,
I doubt he would lose his job over something that had nothing to do with his career.
Role models?! WTF?!
He won't get in trouble. The ticket agent will probably be arrested and sent to labor camp. I love how the security guard moves away from her the minute the guy starts yelling and then stands off to the side with his buddies letting her take all the heat. What a crack security team!
10 years? The airport and the public would be lucky if they get a public letter of apology, which I doubt this dude would ever write himself. The hypocrisy of the class system in china is still going well these days, communist or not.
In communist China, glass breaks you.
Too funny, I love how everyone just shows up to start watching. The guy was giving his viewers what they wanted, a good show.
He was a nice dresser. I'll give him that.
Not like the midgets in N. Korea dressed in the giant hats, pretending to be generals. Or their leader wearing 4 inch heels and fake muscles sewn into his jacket.
Last time he had a NUKE AMERICA PARADE he looked like an NFL Linebacker in Munchkin Land.
Ahh--reminds me when i missed my plan to New York cause there was a flight to "Newark" right next door and the foreign-accented attendant kept saying the Newark flight had been delayed due to weather. I wanted to smash something too when I learned he was saying Newark and not "New York."
Should be gross negligence to put those flights next to each other in the terminal imo.
Iv'e traveled in China extensively and the Chinese don't take Airline screw ups and delays very well. If you got on the tarmac and it was announced that they would be waiting for any length of time the passengers would riot. Probably what we should do in the USA.
Timid Americans wouldn't dare to say a word. America is a police state. SWAT, armed with heavy machine guns, helicopter gunships, Kelvar, grenade and armor vehicles, is just waiting for an excuse to execute someone in a show of force to subordinate the proletariates in their place.
Idiotic comments abound, see "WallStFatCat" Do people turn into idiots when they sit in front of their computer, or are they like that all the time? I'm convinced the more technology we have, the dumber, more selfish, asinine we become. It used to be difficult to identify yourself as a moron; now everyone revels in the chance to display their ingornace. Go back to watching Fox and scouring the internet for porn...
Really? You're going to call America a police state? On an article about CHINA?
Do you know what "irony" means, WallSt?
larry-2037452, I can understand being pissed about airline screw ups, but in this case the dude and his family was late the first day, their fault. Then was late again the second day, no air line screw ups here buddy, since the plane seemed to had left on time.
WallStFatCat
"Timid Americans wouldn't dare to say a word"
Huh? When and where have you've met a timid American?
"America is a police state"
Are you comparing that to China? Wow, you don't get out much do you. There's a whole world out there beyond your computer screen buddy. Atleast try going for a walk, you won't be so fat.
From personal experience I would say if he was late,,,,,,,,, it was the wife's fault.
You can beg and plead with women to move faster or skip some part of their morning routine, But nothing works. 'After breakfast she probably went to the bathroom, Flossed, checked her email, checked her hair and fixed her make-up.
I'm glad he smashed up the place and didn't slap her instead.
Or you could act like a adult plan your travel better, learn/follow the rules and realize what every Kindergartner knows. Throwing a tantrum is going to get your behind slapped.
Nope, he's right, America has become complacent and sees police abuse of power as not a big deal.
Look at Occupy: people were actually defending all that police brutality and unlawful arresting because "those dirty hippies should be working" and seemed ok with a small army of heavily armed officers being sent to "monitor" a peaceful march of unarmed civilians.
Yup, you're doing sooo much better than China.
There's definitely something to be said for resisting the expansion of the American security apparatus and the growth of state power. I am very concerned about the erosion of civil liberties in the name of security to protect us from a bunch of poorly armed mooks half a world away.
But our "police state" is quite a joke compared to China, which has extensive domestic spy networks, constant media censoring and vetting, a judiciary that answers to the Communist party, and police that are, quite frankly, above the law. How many "Occupiers" were killed by police, executed, or imprisoned for years for their protesting? Trying to characterize America as being tightly controlled by the government, with heavily-armed police just looking for any excuse to gun someone down, is simply hyperbole, even for someone (like me) who is very concerned about both those things.
@!$%# happens. Acting like an animal is no excuse. Go some where, unwind, then make God damn sure your early for your next flight.
Looks like any Southwest Airlines gate on Friday night.
Two words: anger management.
Two words : Legalize Marijuana
One word: Loser
3words: Delusions of importance
He was clearly wrong if the story checks out, but being a leader in the commie party he expects others to bow down I suppose.
Nine hundred eighty-eight thousand, nine hundred and sixty-eight words: In the Webster's Dictionary.
Had this been in the good ole USA, these sorry, angry folks would have
simply been shot to death. After first being beaten to a senseless pulp
by 25 M-16 toting, jackbooted TSA agents... They are lucky they had
this 'hissy-fit' in a civilized countries airport.
They are lucky that they are rich and well-connected. Had an ordinary Chinese citizen done this, he would have disappeared and never been heard from again.
Yeah, I'd like to see somebody pull this off in the US, well-connected or not. Or maybe the TSA would be too busy busting the little kid with spina bifida...
Had this happened int he US and get beaten by TSA agents, I would applaud the TSA agents for doing something other than feeling chicks crotches and boobs. If you're gonna be a dumb arse and miss the flight two days in a row because you think you're special, some one needs to beat "humbleness" back into you.
Oh, how many times do I wish I could've gotten away with this. From the video it looks the the plane is still there. Sure they were late to the gate but after waiting an extra day you would think that the airport could page them separately. Many, many times I've sat on the tarmac waiting for some guy to put his ass in gear to get on the plane. If some idiot salesman that didn't allow time for security can hold up a whole plane then certainly this guy with his family should be able to.
If they hadn't gone for a leisurely breakfast they would have heard the announcement and boarded the plane. He just thought that they would hold the flight until he deigned to arrive and he was wrong. this made him lose face and he blew up.
Rich man. Typical. What else needs to be said. Nothing will happen to him, it was his "right". (Sarcasm)
Wouldn't see that happen here!! Guy should have been arrested and handcuffed....fast!!
Seriously, what are those "security" guards thinking? Pay must suck.
Do that in the US and you'd be labeled a terrorist...
More like labeled a man that had too many Manhattan ice teas in the commie leader lounge.
Put him back in his cage the circus is over!
The family went to breakfast and missed the boarding call for an afternoon flight! What a bunch of fools these communists must be.
Death by firing squad and make him load the rifles and pay for the bullets................. Money and Influence = Freedom and Power!
If this would have been LAX the cops would have shot him and her
So he is both incompetent and short-tempered? Not the best qualities to have in a leader of anything.
Not surprising really......a lot of wealthy Chinese have been acting this way in Asia for a few years now. Remember the term 'ugly Americans' that regarded the way Americans traveled? Now it is 'ugly Chinese'.
I like the old lady that keeps telling him to calm down. Hope he enjoyed his breakfast.
Feel sorry for the kids. If he blows up like that in public, what do you think he does with them. One of them looked like he wanted to tell his dad to calm down but couldn't say anything.
Rich people call it "entitlement".
Actually, they call it "throwing a tantrum" like everyone else.
Why do people act like this ? What a ridiculous fool of a man ! The security guard was so useless ,why is he even there ? It amazes me how 3rd world people when they have a little cash act so obnoxiously and feel they can get away with such abysmal behavior !! Put the idiots in jail for a week to cool down and make them pay for the damage . Totally unbelievable such lack of public demeanor .
3rd world people? As much as I thought this dude's action was idiotic and shows the true nature of China's communist power structure. You really need to get out more. China is rank #2 behind the US in GDP. Not to mention the US is in debt with China for trillions of dollars. But hey, I know the US's educational system is slipping behind China's, and you are proof of that.
Well, I have been to China, and it may not be 3rd world via economics, but via infrastructure and everything else it is. North Korea has the 3rd largest Army in the world I believe, but would not see that changing the fact that they are a 3rd world country IMO.
Is China considered a developing nation still? It's difficult to fit the entire nation into a catgory, because its massive population skews wealth statistics and it still has enormous tracts of rural land that doesn't see nearly as much government attention as the cities.
Oh no, even China has Republicans!
China has their own Donald Trump and Leona Helmsley!
"Only the little people pay taxes"
Prominent Communist Party - that's right. 3 or more security just stood there and did nothing. AND they are entitled to social disorder. They are all sick people in communist party.
They are @!$%#heads.
They are sh1theads.
A great impression of our western 1% fatcats. Mao must be SO proud.