Tough on rules, soft on people: Chinese officer helps vendor finish orders before asking her to leave

(ECNS) -- An urban enforcement officer in Hangzhou helped a street vendor prepare glutinous rice cakes while asking her to leave a busy intersection, according to video posted online.

An internet user recently filmed the scene in the Manjuelong area of Hangzhou, in eastern China's Zhejiang province.

It happened near the intersection of Manjuelong and Hupao roads, where the vendor had set up a stall in an area prone to traffic jams. Tourists crowded the area and vehicles passed constantly, and the stall was obstructing traffic.

Chen Gang, an auxiliary officer with the West Lake scenic area's law enforcement team, approached the vendor and asked her to leave. But she was busy serving customers who had already placed orders.

"I'll leave after finishing these orders," the vendor said, struggling to keep up with customers.

"You can't sell any more after these orders," Chen told her. He then stepped in to help work the rotating drum used to make the rice cakes, hoping to speed things up and ease congestion.

He ended up making more rice cakes than expected, and the vendor quickly reached over and said, "That's enough." Waiting customers could not help laughing.

Chen said that with crowds of tourists, heavy traffic and customers waiting, ordering the vendor to stop immediately could have led to a dispute, so he decided to help. "Making a living isn't easy, and we understand that," he said. "Whenever we can lend a hand, we do. But operating a stall on the road and disrupting traffic in the scenic area is prohibited."

Chen, 40, is from Yancheng in eastern China's Jiangsu province and has worked in Hangzhou for more than a decade. For him, helping the vendor was not a momentary act of compassion but part of his daily approach to the job. He said officers strictly regulate unlicensed outdoor vending but mainly use education and persuasion for first-time violations.

"We should help residents and tourists whenever they encounter difficulties," Chen said, summing up his approach to public service.

(By Gong Weiwei)