Heroes worshipped Villains vilified

Who's gone from hero to zero this week in China? Who has the halo of goodness shining above their heads, and whose dastardly deeds have plumbed the depths of depravity?

Hero of the week

Chinese flight attendants

Chinese flight attendants have a rough job sometimes, as highlighted by the August assault of an air hostess from China Southern Airlines at the hands of an angry military official. But it's worth remembering that these noble men and women of the sky do more than just offer us bland meals, overpriced duty-free goods and headphones to watch B-grade movies.

On Monday, a man aboard a flight from Shenzhen to Xi'an caused chaos when he decided he wanted some fresh air and proceeded to demand the passenger seated next to him open the window. Causing a scene with his foul language, a flight attendant intervened to explain that windows on planes don't open for a good reason. Infuriated, he then threw his juice at the air hostess and pounded the window until his hand bled. A fortnight earlier, another first-time flyer tried to open an emergency exit after mistaking it for the bathroom on a Hong Kong Airlines flight.

The latest incident of heroism from flight attendants came on Wednesday, when a passenger was detained by police after refusing flight attendants' request to turn off his cellphone during a flight from Vancouver to Beijing.

Villain of the week

Ferrari fools in Shaanxi

Question: What do you get when you take a dozen Ferraris, a group of cashed-up young men with IQs a fraction of their cars' horsepower and a wet, desolate highway in North China's Shaanxi Province? Answer: A fleet of expensive wreckages and bruised egos. Such was the scene on the Shaanxi Baomao Highway in Ansai county around 3:30 pm on Monday, where moments earlier a flash of red Ferraris had roared past at speeds that would drop jaws of Chinese bullet train drivers.

The accident happened when two drivers, seemingly living out their Daytona Racing video game fantasy, clipped each other's vehicles and spun out of control. Unlike many previous Chinese street racing accidents, there was no chance for the perpetrators to flee as they were trapped inside their cars. We can only imagine their faces were redder than their mangled Ferraris by the time police arrived on the scene.

Fortunately, no innocent people were injured. Unfortunately, the street racers will no doubt return to terrorizing rural highways again in no time.