"All very worrying in such circumstances"
Der geschätzte Engländer Michael W., 71 Jahre jung, schreibt mir von seiner bizarren Begegnung mit dem chinesischen Rechtssystem:
Sorry to hear about your run in with the Police last month, it is certainly a worry we can find ourselves in when it comes to them or us. Some years ago now in 2006. I was cycling home around 9.00pm on a summer evening when I stopped at the traffic lights, only to be confronted with an angry young Chinese man, who I was to find out through a lady interpreter who stopped to see what was happening, for as you know a crowd soon gathers around. It was that this young man said I had knocked him off his bicycle. I had never seen him in my life before. The Lady asked if I had anyone I could call to come and assist me as the Police were being called. I called my then Wife Xiu Qin and she came from our home, about 10 minutes away. Now when she arrived I thought she would go mad at this youth and also the Police who by then had arrived. But she did not and listened to what was being said about me knocking this youth off his bicycle. It was then decided by them to take us all to the Police Station, we in the Police car and our bicycles on a Police Lorry. At that time Xiu Qin not even asked me as to what happened, which I was upset about, it was all about what this youth was saying. At the Police Station, we and by then this youths Father and Girlfriend/Wife was also there, all talking away in Chinese. I got very upset as Xiu Qing was talking to them and the Police and not me. We then, Xiu Qin and me had to take this Youth to the Hospital for treatment and X-Rays on his arm, which he said hurt him and he was to show everyone a rip in his arm of his coat. We had to pay the medical bill at the Hospital, about 500RMB I seem to remember, I was getting very upset, although Xiu Qin paid it, it was my money and I was completely innocent of knocking this Youth off his bicycle. Well back at the Police Station, the Police told Xiu Qin that we had to pay a further 2,000 RMB. Xiu Qing had to go to the Bank Teller Machine down the road and get the money out. On returning back to the Police Station, Xiu Qin giving the money to the Police, he then started distributing the money out to all the people there. Even Xiu Qin got 50 RMB, I got nothing. Father, Girlfriend and the Youth got some and the Police put some in their draw of the desk. I was furious and was saying so all the time, but Xiu Qin never said anything to me to comfort me, very strange and upsetting I thought. By then it was 1.30pm in the morning as we rode home on the bicycles. I was furious with Xiu Qin and told her so. I said that we should divorce over this matter even. We went to bed in silence. Now at that time Xiu Qin's English, having only just known her just over a year was not too good and I could not as to this very day talk or understand Chinese. Later that morning, after we had got up I had a call from Sun Li, Xiu Qin's Daughter in Shanghai and she was to explain her Mama's action at the Police Station, for Mama had called her earlier to tell her what had gone on. It would appear the Police had told Xiu Qin that if she did not pay the money then they were going to Beat me Up. So that is why Xiu Qin paid the money and showed no comfort to me at the time. ALL VERY WORRYING IN SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES. We do have to be very careful here as you and I have found out.
