BEIJING: China's bus drivers and ticket sellers have been urged to leave communism behind, with a new training manual instructing them to call travellers "sir" or "madam" instead of "comrade", state media reported yesterday.
Older Beijingers, a few of whom still wear "Mao suits" that were once a virtual uniform for China's hundreds of millions of citizens, will be exempt from the new ruling.
"Old comrade" is listed as the final possible choice of address for elderly travellers, but it comes after "elder master" and "elder sir".
A newly released manual for Beijing bus staff suggests forms of address ranging from "student" to the plain "passenger" for younger travellers, for whom comrade has a different gloss, as a slang term for gay. - Reuters.
Can we hear George Orwell, author of "Animal Farm", saying from his cloud, I told you so?
Source
Cape Times 1/6/2010
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