Sleeping capsules are laid to rest

EARLIER THIS MONTH, some companies installed “shared sleeping capsules” in office buildings in Beijing and Shanghai, which office workers could rent for a nap during their lunchtime breaks. Yet the local authorities in both municipalities have shut them down, citing fire hazards and other reasons. China Youth Daily comments:

The police in Shanghai said there were two main reasons for shutting down the capsules. First, the management companies did not obtain permission from the fire department, second, the capsules are in essence a hotel and the companies did not get permission to run a hotel.

Such sleeping capsules are convenient because they help white-collar workers find a place to rest during their lunch breaks. However, potential challenges do exist: How to ensure health and safety? How to check the identity of users so that wanted criminals and suspects cannot use them?

These problems must be answered before the sleeping capsules are put into use. That’s why the local authorities’ decision to shut them down is the right move, because it better protects people’s safety before such questions are answered.

The shutting down of the capsules is not necessarily bad news for the companies that were providing them. They now know what they have to do to improve their operations so as to better serve the public.

Some call for tolerance of the “sleeping capsules” as an emerging business model. While the authorities and the public need to show tolerance, those offering the capsules must follow the rules. Meeting health and safety requirements, as well as conducting ID checks, are necessary, and when the management companies meet these required standards, they will find their products are welcome.

We hope the capsules will soon be back with better and safer standards.

Many youngsters obtain information and share ideas via micro blogs. And many officials have micro blogs, too. However, the majority of them do not register under their real names. Many simply use the platform to get information. Seldom do any officials use the micro blogs to express their ideas or share their moments.

Zhao is obviously an exception. He not only registered for the micro blog account using his real name, but also issued several micro blogs and interacted with those who commented on them.

Deyang officials say that Zhao opened the micro blog because he hoped to help his city get more support in the China Central Television competition Charming China. He succeeded, because he had already got 30,000 followers by Sunday, many of whom expressed support for Deyang.

A glance at Zhao’s micro blogs shows that instead of writing them in a bureaucratic style, he adopts a friendly voice. It is this that has ensured his popularity. The comments under Zhao’s micro blogs prove that people welcomed the move. People want to see their mayor living like they do, instead of showing just an official stance.

The trend of officials using social networks is irreversible. If they do not speak online, they might lose the trust of the people. In this sense, Zhao has set a brilliant example to all the officials nationwide and we hope more officials will follow suit.