Subway clash reveals changing fortunes

A video clip showing a quarrel between several mainland tourists and local Hong Kong residents on a subway train in the special administrative region has unexpectedly become an Internet hit.

The squabble was sparked by what most mainlanders would consider a trivial matter - mothers feeding their children instant noodles on the subway, oblivious to the no-food-and-drink rule that local passengers abide by.

However, on a scale of fierceness the quarrel was no match for what I see almost daily on Beijing streets. There were raised voices, but no extremely vile words were used. And there were no severe consequences. The dispute ended after a subway employee intervened.