Outrage: Beijing Subway calls passengers 'locusts'   

北京地铁官方微博称不文明乘客为“蝗虫”引争议

昨天上午11点09分，北京地铁发布一条官方微博称“蝗虫”过后的10号线一片狼藉，配图是一节满地小广告和垃圾的地铁车厢照片。该微博迅速在网上传开并引起很大争议，不少乘客认为“蝗虫”一词用词不当。[查看全文]

(ECNS) -- The Beijing Subway has sparked public outrage for using the term "locusts" to describe passengers.

The subway made the statement Sunday on its official Weibo, or microblog account. It read: "When 'locusts' commute via Line 10, the subway line becomes a mess due to all the trash they leave behind on the trains... for those that intentionally destroy Beijing with bad behavior, all we can say is 'You are not welcome!'"

The post had been followed over 4,000 times and attracted more than 3,000 comments before it was taken down.

The term "locusts" and the statement "You are not welcome!" have been criticized as discriminatory against the immigrant population in the city.

"Beijing subway authorities should specify that people who litter are not welcome, as it's unfair to assume that all migrant workers litter," said a netizen.

"When they say that Beijing does not welcome you, it sounds like they mean anyone who is a non-local, while in fact they only mean people who throw their garbage everywhere," said another netizen.

Others pointed out that the lack of garbage cans on the trains is the major reason for the littering.

"Instead of blaming passengers for littering, the Beijing Subway should be held accountable for poor management," said a netizen named Wuqilun.

A subway official said the inappropriate remark was made by an editor, whose intention was to call for civilized behavior by railway passengers.