April 12, 2006
Man gets on the wrong plane -- is this really news?
The Associated Press brought us a heartwarming story last week -- a story of overcoming adversity, of the importance of family, of the singular stupidity of one man and the two-bit writer who dared to sensationalize the tale. The story, ladies and gentlemen, will shock and dismay, awe and inspire. Shanghaiist is proud to summarize, as well as offer choice selections from, "Flight Across China Leaves Man Stranded".
Eugene Nelson, who works for Intel in Dupont, WA, was supposed to board a plane from Hong Kong to Taiwan. Instead, he got on the plane to Taiyuan. It then took him an astounding five days to get home, as he only had American Express (hasn't he seen those Visa commercials?) on him and could not withdraw cash from ATM machines because they were not "foreign enabled". One would think that would be the end of the story. One would think that Eugene Nelson would have liked to keep his idiocy below the radar.
No no no ... One thought wrong. Curt Woodward of the Associated Press was at Sea-Tac airport when Nelson arrived home, drawn to the opportunity for sensationalist media exploitation like a vulture to rotting carrion. Seizing the moment with pen in hand, he offers some gems for audiences worldwide. Take a gander:
[Eugene Nelson's] first attempts at finding lodgings revealed the problems of the language barrier — Nelson said he ended up at a brothel, and had to "damn near fight my way out."He returned to the small airport in the city of about 1.5 million, but found it was about to close and officials would not let him sleep inside.
Nelson said he might never have found his way if not for a helpful young woman who spoke a bit of English and arranged for friends to loan the obviously distressed American money and give him a safe ride to a hotel.
"She probably saved my fricking life," he said, nearly breaking into sobs.
The incredible tale continues:
After nearly endless hours of searching, Nelson said he found a bank that would allow him to draw the cash that American Express had wired him. Then he spent hours figuring out how to get his account information translated into Mandarin so that he could access the money.In between, Nelson said he faced danger and indignity, injuring his legs and back leaping out of the way of a reckless car and enduring the spit that some Chinese hurled his way.
With Chinese people attempting to run him over and spitting at him everywhere he went, it is easy to understand why Nelson might be sobbing at the end of his "ordeal". Then again, his sobs might have simply come from his own utter incompetence in the face of a little adversity. How could the Associated Press editors possibly print this rubbish? What do AP writers in China think of the story and its tone? How could Woodward possibly validate Nelson's mind-numbing ineptitude when getting on a plane to Taiyuan instead of Taiwan?
Stories like this shiver our timbers. It's not that Shanghaiist upholds a higher writing-standard than Woodward employs -- we are not above our own sensationalism now and again. But Shanghaiist is a weblog and Woodward writes for the Associated Press, two institutions for which different quality standards for journalism should apply. How is a story like this even considered news? Both of these men, Nelson and Woodward, strike Shanghaiist as complete nincompoops, and the AP editors who gave this story the go-ahead aren't short of that mark either.
Top photo of Taiyuan in Shanxi Province from China City. Profile of Eugene Nelson from the Associated Press via USA Today.
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What a (inappropriate adjective deleted) idiot. Actually, maybe describes both the writer and the subject.
I thought I have logged off Onion a couple of hours ago......why am I still reading Woodward's Onion-like journalism, indistinguishable from great mock headlines like:
-"Tom DeLay to Pursue Corruption in Private Sector".
-"Critics Blast Bush For Not Praying Hard Enough."
-"Detroit Sold For Scrap".
-"Earth Passed Over For Invasion".
Has too much time spent with mock journalism there left me in the alter-reality of an Onion-shaped universe?! HELP!
I like laughable stories about idiots. Either this guy is really stupid, or, call me cynical, he had a 5 day bender at the Brothel in Taiyuan and needed SOMETHING to tell his wife and company, and his friend Woodward, was just the ticket to help him out.
I hope you are right, Owen. Let's keep in mind that this guy made his mistake in Hong Kong, where tons of people speak English and everything -- especially the departures board -- would be labeled in both Chinese and English. I have been to some pretty remote airports in China, and all of them had some kind of English signage -- tickets, I believe, always have English on them. Let's also keep in mind that it couldn't have been a simple Taiwan/Taiyuan pronunciation problem -- Taiwan is not a city. His flight would have been labeled "Taipei," perhaps. Does that sound like Taiyuan? Did he get confused on his flight home because his ticket said Seattle and not Washington? Moron. And the AP should be ashamed. Such an ignorant xenophobic pile of crap.
it never ceases to amaze me how high on the high horse ex-pats can get.
Jeff and those that have commented need to check themselves.
I'm sorry to have offended your sensibilities, Dave. It would be more helpful to me, in terms of being able to take something constructive from your criticism, if you pointed out exactly how I am "high on the high horse". While I understand your metaphor, I am not sure what it is in reference to.
I appreciate that you think perhaps Eugene Nelson does not deserve the level of sarcasm that I brought to bear upon his story. In hindsight, I will give you that. But an AP reporter should hold himself (or herself, as the case may be) to a higher standard than the writing in this specific article.
If you pointed out how this article qualified as "news", I think I might be able to converse with you. But when you criticize offhandly the author of something and everyone who agrees with him (or her, again, as the case may be) without explaining your reasoning for said criticism, then it does no one any good, at least in my opinion.
I hope to hear back from you in comment or in email, as to how I might be able to get off the high horse upon which you perceive me seated.
Best regards,
Jeff
Dave,
You are an idiot. Now prove me wrong. Chop chop! Time to put the gray stuff to work---for once.
MD
i think that the photographer who took the picture must have had an agenda. he makes Eugene look kinda neanderthal. "dude, where's my flight, to taipei or taiyuan or taiyang or whateva the fuck it's called".
Don't worry, he probably got some shit for it at work, because we figure that people that work at Intel ought to be kinda smart (OK depends on the division) and they probably rubbed him in. To others in certain parts of the US, he might be considered a "real american hero", for braving the wilds of Taiyuan and coming out alive. i would suggest that this is the readership that USA today or the AP is writing for, and believe you me, they do exist. YOu damn blue state people, ya think you're so much better than everyone else.
I agree with Dave. And god, Jeff, you sound like one cranky guy. You don't seem to like having your Musings questioned in the slightest, but that's kind of what blogging is all about. Have you considered another line of work?
As for me (and yes, I know, fellas: I'm an idiot) I read the story of this guy and kept thinking, jeez, what would I do in this situation?
If I ended up in the wrong freakin' place where a) I didn't speak the language b) they did't take plastic and I couldn't get any money c) the airport was closing. d) people were spitting on me (QUESTION: do people over there DO that to whites?).
The brothel thing is a bit laughable (and suspicious) I grant you. But this is the kind of holiday-from-hell story that sells.
I usually read Torontoist and dropped by to see what was online here. Based on this story and comments, it does seem like there's a very different 'screw-you-its-survival-of-the-fittest' tone to Jeff post and reactions that seems to fit with what I've read about Shanghai today.
Shawn: Live in China for a while and you will understand Jeff's frustration. I meet expats, fresh of the plane, everyday here who go "golly gee...they have skyscrapers and stuff here!" or "omg it’s McDonalds" as if the Shanghai they were expecting was full of farmers in shacks. This article furthers the idea Chinese people are bad people (the whole spitting thing, and car thing). The tone of Jeff's article, I think, springs from so many people who visit China for work/play and seem to expect it to be just like going to the next town in the their home state. You have to be responsible for yourself. You have to have some self accountability. You need to be smart enough NOT to get on the wrong airplane, and if by chance you do, smart enough again to stay at the airport until you get your situation figured out. Plus I think a lot of expats who live here, and really like China, get pissed at seeing these stories that portray Chinese people in such a bad light. In fact I find Chinese people to be far friendlier than most Americans are. (well except for queuing in Shanghai ;) ) The fact that you had to ask if Chinese people spit on “whites” goes to prove what kind of damage articles like this do to people who have not had the pleasure of experiencing China in person…and NO they don’t.
Then I don't expect much better from USA Today, considering it is written at a 5th grade level.
Thanks, GregC, for that info. And the kindly manner in which it was presented. I'm learning!
I'm more curious about the questions not answered in the AP story, like:
Who made the booking, for example, Nelson himself at the airport at the last minute, a travel agent trying to finish up the shift ASAP, or someone in his company in advance? If the latter, what the heck kind of company travel program is Intel running?!?
It sounds, though, like Intel is using American Express's corporate travel management service...which in my personal opinion is a definite a mistake. "Time to upgrade to Travelport or Orbitz for Business, folks." (Plug for the venerable ex-employer ;-) In short, from what I can glean from the story-plus-what I know of corporate travel management, the "booking error" itself was probably not Nelson's, but an agent at American Express Travel. That's why they didn't want to comment for the story.
Yes, Nelson should have read the signs, but when your work for a big corporation that is paying another big corporation to handle your business travel reservations, you may think they won't do something idiotic. Like send you to the wrong city (or, depending on your political view, to the wrong country) and so on.
Also, the story says "He was in the middle of a swing through about a half-dozen Chinese cities, checking in with business partners." I hope we can assume he'd already been in the mainland and was still holding a valid multi-entry visa. If not, the story is really about inattentive Customs and Airport staff/procedures in Hong Kong.
I watched the original news, the poor guy was crying like a baby on Channel 2 news. It's nice to see a guy cry though.
Intel should hire his mama and send her along if they want to send him to China again (I doubt that). But again, maybe both of them will get lost...
The AP story is risible, but I do feel sorry for the guy. C'mon everyone; remember how you felt the first time you arrived in China? I felt seriously out of sorts for days and I was where I was supposed to be with a place to stay and cash. This chap (because of a series of mistakes not entirely his own) finds himself in a place he can't point to on the map with no money, no way of getting money, no place to stay.... Where's your compassion?
I kind of like the corporate-travel screw up theory. That may have gotten him to Taiyuan through no fault of his own (and as far as Taiwan/Taiyuan - I could see the guy saying "Taiwan?" and the checkin guy smiling and nodding his head - I could see some American saying "Japan" for Tokyo, or "Finland" for Helsinki - please remember that only less than 20% of Americans know where these countries, nevermind cities, are on the globe). That said, this is just a stupid story.
Regardless of who made the ticket error and regardless of whether you think Mr. Nelson should have been able to better handle being dropped off in Taiyuan if, as the story states, he was in the middle of a trip that was taking him to "about a half-dozen Chinese cities," the fact still remains that absolutely nothing about Mr. Nelson's experience merits an international news story, especially when the only "source" for the story is a man who clearly is not an authority on anything that has to do with China. The only purpose this story serves is to perpetuate negative and false impressions of China and Chinese people. It is irresponsible journalism, plain and simple.
"The only purpose this story serves is to perpetuate negative and false impressions of China and Chinese people. It is irresponsible journalism, plain and simple."
Dan, do you think that's the _intentional_ purpose of the AP story, or just a negative by-product of the irresponsible journalism?
And no argument that the story itself has weaknesses--I don't think he really got his written (?) account information translated into "Mandarin," for example, but probably into "Chinese."
Nelson himself is taking quite a hit here, but I suspect his greatest blunder was simply focusing on "Gate A-33, boarding starts at 2:05 P.M." or whatever, not taking in city names, and probably trying to catch up on e-mail on the side.
Last point: I agree that this isn't worthy of AP coverage as it's presented, but there are other issues behind Mr. Nelson's experience that are probably newsworthy in certain sub-industries (the story will be quite interesting to competitors of American Express Travel in the corporate travel management sector, for instance).
But yes, unflattering view of China and the Chinese, as you say.
And you wonder why this country voted for Bush twice?
No, Mark, I doubt it was intentional, but that doesn't make it any better. The story, as we read it, never should have made it to print. At some point an editor should have questioned its newsworthiness and the bureau's ability to give it fair treatment. But perhaps the editor is as clueless about China as the reporter.
I agree that if more and different information had been presented, it would have been a much better story -- kind of a don't-let-this-happen-to-you story with tips to would-be travelers. But its never clear what mistakes were made and by whom. So, not very helpful. The way the story reads now, all it would do is make readers fearful of traveling in China. It paints a picture of small Chinese cities as being dangerous places full of people who hate foreigners. That simply isn't true.
It indeed is possible that Mr. Nelson is getting roasted here due to the bad reporting of the writer. We hardly know all the facts.
I do wonder, however, how this became news in the first place. Who tipped off the agencies and the local TV stations? And why?
Peter Neville-Hadley, a travel writer who writes and edits guide books about China, ripped this story apart last week on his blog. He brings up an interesting point: Apparently there are no direct flights from Hong Kong to Taiyuan.
Hmm, Mr. Neville-Hadley's deconstruction does make one go 'Hmmmmm....." even more, no?
Hmmm, where'd I put that old Rolodex....
One clarification: the error was over Taipei's Tao-Yuan Airport(台北桃园机场)vs. Taiyuan(山西太原) Airport. Hmm, "Tao-yuan" and "Tai-yuan"; starts to make a bit more sense...... Doesn't mean Mr. Nelson is not a dim-wit, though.
One quote: this from a Chinese comment on a blog for oversea Chinese in Germany:
"Wow, a guy like this Nelson character was sent on a 6-city China trip......I want to work for Intel!"
How did he get into China without a visa?
He must have booked the flight himself at the airport or something, how can you possibly get on the wrong plane to another country (sorry same country, another system...can you travel to another system? sounds like the matrix or something)
OK, apparently I guessed right: It was American Express Travel that made the original blunder, not Mr. Nelson himself, and he's not claiming it was a direct flight.
The News Tribune in Tacoma, near Nelson's hometown, has a report by a different writer with some additional details on what went down.
Some highlights:
The company that booked his travel arrangements, American Express’ travel division, apparently mixed-up Nelson’s itinerary, he said. They booked him a flight to Taiyuan, but a hotel room in Taiwan, Nelson said.
And re: Neville-Hadley's point of no direct flights from Hong Kong to Taiyuan:
Nelson, who’s previously traveled to China on business, called the travel company Saturday before he left Hong Kong because he thought the scheduled flight time was longer than it should have been, but a representative told him he was headed to Taiwan after a stop in Fuzhuo, he said.
So he sense something wasn't quite right--but of course you and I know there wouldn't be direct flights from Fuzhou (not "Fuzhuo") to Taiwan (or are there now?)....
I liked this one:
Nelson finally found a Western Union, but was told to come back Tuesday. He returned the next morning and spent three hours as the clerks tried to enter his home address into their system using a keyboard that didn’t contain English letters, he said.
And this one:
But was he angry with the travel company?
“Some protective methods need to be put into place to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” he said.
You can read all of Travel nightmare made in Taiyuan at http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/5642100p-5064079c.html.
If the link doesn't work, Google "Travel nightmare made in Taiyuan".
Hahaha...if you Google "Travel nightmare made in Taiyuan"...Google prompts you with
Did you mean: Travel nightmare made in Taiwan
that is priceless. ;)
The News Tribune Article is priceless.
"Cockroaches crawled through his hotel room, which also smelled heavily of sewage, Nelson said. He slept in his clothes, and didn’t drink the tap water because it made him sick.
... He couldn’t find anyone who spoke English, and spent the entire day wandering in and out of banks, and stores that sold dog meat, cosmetics and industrial tools.
The city was polluted. He couldn’t discern how large it was, but could tell there was a strong military presence."
After reading the article, I can somewhat understand how he managed to find himself in the wrong city, although it still seems like a stupid mistake. But his complete incompetence demonstrated after landing in Taiyuan is shocking. It would almost be funny if it didn't reflect so poorly on Americans (like myself). Thanks, Eugene Nelson, for perpetuating the perception of Americans as bumbling, provincial fools. Curt Woodward should be ashamed for this myopic presentation of modern-day China. I can just picture Mr. Nelson's similarly ignorant contemporaries reading this story and confirming their fears of wayward China.
Mark didnt share the best bits...
"Cockroaches crawled through his hotel room, which also smelled heavily of sewage, Nelson said. He slept in his clothes, and didn’t drink the tap water because it made him sick.
On Monday, he walked the streets looking for a Western Union, where American Express was to wire him money to pay for a plane ticket. He couldn’t find anyone who spoke English, and spent the entire day wandering in and out of banks, and stores that sold dog meat, cosmetics and industrial tools.
The city was polluted. He couldn’t discern how large it was, but could tell there was a strong military presence. "
"He was hungry for any American food after eating boiled squid and dog..."
A little searching reveals, not surprisingly, McDonalds can be found in Taiyuan.
wait, if he's clueless, how did he figure out he was eating dog? second thought, maybe i don't want to know.
if you all are interested in more myopic presentations of both americans and chinese, just tune into the upcoming meetings between Hu jintao and george W. bush, where you can watch, live, a "bumbling provincial" american talk with a totalitarian, commie Chinese.
more stupidity is coming our way!
Taipei's Chiang Kai Shek airport is not actually located in Taipei. It's in the neighboring city of Taoyuan, which sounds almost exactly like Taiyuan to me. And from what I've been told by people who have actually visited Taiyuan, it's not the nicest of China's second or third tier cities. Any body been there? What'd you think?
Adding to the irony:
On December 03, 2002, China International Travel Service Head Office and American Express entered into a new and exciting partnership to develop the growing leisure travel market in China. American Express Travel Service Network International (TSNI) will expand its existing network of travel offices in China by appointing CITS as the only lead franchise partner, to identify and acquire like-minded partner agencies to join the fastest growing CITS-Amex Leisure Travel Service Network.
Among the offices in this network:
Taiyuan Shanxi CITS | CITS Building, Pingyang Road 38 | Taiyuan | (86351)4062090 | wss126@hotmail.com
From http://cits.net/travel/tc.jsp.
Perhaps no one has gotten this information to American Express Travel customer support in the U.S. yet?...
Taoyuan is not a commonly used name, just like Kai Tak was not commonly used as a substitute for HK airport. I doubt the guy would say Taoyuan instead of Taipei. OR Taoyuan was used in HK airport instead of Taipei.
Actually, I was at HongQiao airport a while ago, looking at the departing flights list on the LED screen, and I had to look closer and closer because it looked like there was a flight to "Taiwan"... and i know that's not happening. I have good eye sight, but the font on the LED screen was so crappy I had to really examine it to see that it was "Taiyuan" not Tiawan. The "yu" looked like a "w"....