Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Beijing Police Bust Supplier

Posted by He Said

This morning on my way to work I saw a bust in progress.  There must have been close to 10 cops swarming around this business I walk by every morning on my way to work.  One was holding a clipboard and the others were hauling equipment away.

Meth lab?
Pot growers?
Crack house?
Drug dealers?

No.

It was my friendly neighborhood street vendor who sells me my morning fix. My heavenly yóutiáo.

This morning as I approached I had noticed a truck full of stuff, display cases, tables and the like, and as I rounded the corner I saw where they were coming from.  The police were hauling everything away.  The employees stood around with very solemn faces.

BUSTED! For what I don’t know.  I am sure you can understand why I didn’t stop and start snapping photos. 

This was very upsetting to me.  The man who makes the fried bread always smiles and hands me one fresh hot yóutiáo every morning, and more often than not before other customers who were there before me.  He never even checks to see if I paid. The cash register was only small cardboard box full of cash.  If my purchase was one yuan and I had a ten, it was my job to throw it in the box and count out my own change, and nobody would watch me.  A total honor system.

This morning as I passed, there it was, a basket of still steaming yóutiáo surrounded by Chinese Police officers.  I almost grabbed one and ran.

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