Chinese People’s Justice
Broken Bed
While traveling in China I had a pleasure to experience the Chinese People’s Justice first hand. I stayed at a youth hostel in Beijing that was recommended by the Lonely Planet Travel guide. If you have ever stayed in a youth hostel you will able to relate to my story, but if you have not it will be confusing as hell.
I arrived at this place early in the morning and checked into a dorm room that sleeps 4 people. Staying in dorm rooms when you travel not only saves you money but it is also fun because you get to talk to other travelers who are sleeping in the same room as you. You do not really talk to people in the room but go to public area and grab a drink and shoot the breeze.
That was exactly what I did. An Italian guy who was staying in my dorm and I set down on a couch in public space. We talked about traveling and drunk beers. There were many travelers in the public area, which served as a restaurant common area. There was an Israeli guy who just came back from traveling Mongolia, a couple of Danish guys on their first long trip away from their country, Swedish girls who got tired of working back home and decided to vagabond the world, an English architect who came to China to volunteer for a nonprofit organization, and many other people were there.
It was really fun for me, because for the past three weeks I stayed in Chinese hotels and no westerners were around. I visited different tourist places, but did not come across western people. So it was nice to talk to fellow travelers about China and traveling in general. We watched crazy movies like Jackass, Bruce Lee, and other nostalgic stuff. We talked about improving the world and getting rid off injustices – Utopian ideology but not very practical. We looked at each other’s pictures of China that we took while traveling. It was a lot of fun!
Nighttime came around, and I went to sleep. My bunk bed was on top. I climbed into it and fell asleep. Bang, I felt sharp pain around my vertebrate, and I jumped up in shock. I landed on the bottom bunk, and the bed came crashing. I am like WTF, trying to figure out what happened. A guy, who was sleeping beneath me, banged on the thin plywood bottom of my bed, hitting the spinal nerves of my vertebrate. I was angry as shit and asked the guy why he hit my bed. Smiling and giggling he replied, “You were snoring!”
It was about 5 in the morning. Knowing that the bed was broken, I went to notify the hostel people so we can straighten the situation out. I was also concerned that the guy who was the cause of the bed breaking would run away and I would have to pay for the broken bed. Notifying the management of the hostel, they offered a solution that both of us pay a total of 200 usd for the bed.
I knew it was not my fault for breaking the bed, but I agreed to pay half the money. The guy who abruptly woke me up causing the problem, did not like the idea. He started crying and saying he has no money. He called his parents in Korea complaining to them. Then he called Korean embassy in Beijing. No one was able to help him. The hostel people called police, and an officer came over to settle the matter. After hearing everybody’s story he determined that I should pay 200 usd for the bed, and the Korean guy should pay me 100 usd for my medical bill, so I can go to a hospital and check myself. The Korean guy crying he has no money and he is living China tomorrow reached into his pocket and gave me 80 usd. I really did not want to push the issue and accepted the money.
I was told that I have to move to a private room. I protested, saying that it was not my fault for breaking the bed. The manager gave me an ultimatum, move or leave the hostel. I moved to a private room and stayed there for 4 days. After 4 days, the manager told me my room is reserved and I need to move back to a dorm room. I was beginning to feel like cattle! They move you around depending on what is convenient for them. I agreed to the move. I was back in society! The broken bed was never replaced as the manager claimed it would be. I guess he pocketed the money. 
4 days later, one night while hanging out in the common room watching videos on TV, some American girl started screaming to everyone that she wants to watch Michael Jackson music video. Nobody wanted to watch Michael Jackson video, and they all ignored her. I said to her Michael is Lame. She got all upset, saying this hostel is for children and you are an adult. There were people of all ages staying at the hostel, so calling me an adult was really strange.
I did not pay her attention and continued partying with my friends. We were drinking Baidju, a Chinese Whiskey! I felt really good and had a good time, although was a bit drunk! 
I was really tired and went to sleep. In the morning some girl in my room started screaming about me snoring. I looked at the girl, and it was the Michael Jackson chick! Again she said, “You are an adult, and you should not be staying at a youth hostel.” I had a bit of a hangover, and I snapped at her. I said, “Can you leave me the fuck alone!”
That was when all hell broke lose. Other American guys staying in the same room started a protest to get me kicked out off the hostel. One guy went to get the manager. The manager came to the room saying that I must leave, that I am bad for his business. I am bad for business? WTF, I was just snoring! Anyway, he said if I do not leave he will have me arrested. I knew I had no chance to argue my case. I was just a foreigner in a strange country. China won, and I lost. I had no rights!
Later I found out that I was not the only guy given the boot at this hostel. A couple, a guy and his girlfriend, was kicked out of the hustle for having Sex in their room. Apparently, because they were not married they were not allowed to have sex in their room. Now this is kind of strange because the hostel caters to young people who come to travel and have fun.
The Chinese have double standards when it comes to equal rights for themselves and the foreigners visiting their country. Chinese have massage parlors and whorehouses on almost every block. But when it comes to western people showing affection, it is not allowed! Welcome to Chinese People’s Justice!
Tags: china, comedy, democracy, human rights, travel
November 13th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
awesome post. best ever. I stayed in a youth hostel in NYC
(even though I’m from there because my mother would not let my girlfriend Sara live with us and she was from upstate. So I dealt with my Blue State mom and lived separately even though I had to work full time to pay for the one room. I was also doing vices during that period, but only because of the femme abuse)
I stayed at Jazz on the Park at 116 street. I bought a Dell laptop for $500 from a male model from Iowa and the monitor was broken… but it still kind of worked. At any rate… I don’t remember the details because I was never sober during this period, but these dudes decided to steal the computer back from me because they didn’t like me.
I admit I wasn’t very sober during this period… but my life was hell. After successfully graduating from one of the top schools in the country I was in a dead end advertising job working for an independent contractor for a knock off yellow page by the Jewish Yellow Pages. The irony was that the Jewish Yellow Page subcontractor was a Palestinian sympathizer and a Chavez supporter because his girl was from Venezuela. I made perhave 30 grand a year and that is not good considering I was supporting myself in NYC. It was total hell. My relationship with Sara was new at this point and she was basically just a homeless girl that I found off the streets of Washington heights with all her hair chopped off. Things were messed up.
This guy breaks into my room and Sara just pretty much hands this junky male model my computer. She was scared. I lived in that place for a year. It was total hell. I know you did it for four days Igor… but I did it for a year. My parents had already moved up to Poughkeepsie and because I was smoking pot they used it as an excuse to cut off all support. Living frigg’n hell of a life from 2001 to 2006 for me. Things worked out in the end and Maxx Simon was born… but I was so pissed at Sara at the time. She was messed up just like I was… and she would steal money from me. …we are still together so it worked out… but trust me she was a bad ass that could not be trusted before we fell in love. I mean she practically just handed this dude my computer that I had bought from him. I was paying around $750 a month in 2001 for one room without a bathroom… and Sara had no respect for me at the time. Believe me she is beautiful… but when I first dated her she was like a wild cat.
November 13th, 2008 at 11:22 pm
Noah, I glad you liked my comedy - tragedy post. Life has its twists and turns, but that is what makes life beautiful.
I have many stories like this to tell, about traveling, living in NYC, about relationships. I will try to tell them slowly. These stories are not about who is right and who is wrong. They are about life experiences which I am sharing.
November 16th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Again, a very interesting story. It’s hard to guess such adventures can exist when one usually stays at “international standard” type of hotels!
November 16th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
I stayed every where form sleeping on a street to a 5 star 1,000 usd resort. Depending on my feeling at the time I have a different experience. You can enjoy yourself at a five star resort when you have the right partner with you. You can also make great friends when you vagabond on a budget.
But I do think I had the best travels of my life when I traveled with very little money. You tend to experiment and learn about places, by taking public transportations and talking with the locals.
I love taking trains in china, great place to meet people.