Thursday, December 25, 2014

Globe Xmas Gift: Hong Kong Cash

"Hong Kong road covered with cash after mishap" by Chris Buckley, New York Times  December 25, 2014

HONG KONG — A blizzard of millions in cash paralyzed a road in Hong Kong on Wednesday afternoon, when a security van spilled bundles of Hong Kong 500 dollar notes, presenting onlookers with a Christmas Eve test of whether to be good for goodness’ sake.

The police estimated that the equivalent of about $2 million was missing, local news reports said, suggesting that not everyone who saw the windfall had passed the goodness test.

“Anyone who picked up the cash concerned should hand it over to the police as soon as possible,” a district police officer, Wan Siuhong, told reporters, according to Radio Television Hong Kong, a public broadcaster.

Until mid-December, several Hong Kong streets had been blocked for nearly three months by protesters demanding democratic elections. But the latest, brief traffic snarl was more in keeping with this city that has a reputation for chasing the dollar.

The money fluttered across an eight-lane section of Gloucester Road in the Wan Chai area after three plastic crates of the crisp, new notes fell from the back of the security van, news reports said, citing the police and bystanders.

Traffic froze as people stepped out of their cars or walked onto the road to pick up the swirls of money.

Now Television, a commercial broadcaster, showed video of people crouching on the road to snatch up the cash, but it was unclear whether they were helping recover the money or just helping themselves.

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Related: Hong Kong Streets Finally Cleared

NEXT DAY UPDATES:

Hong Kong police arrest prodemocracy protesters returning to streets

All 12 of them.

Chinese Christian communities face increased scrutiny

China’s Leadership Praises Hong Kong’s Top Official