Sharing craze needs reining in

FOLDING STOOLS that people can use for free without paying any deposit or registering are the latest manifestation of the "sharing" business model in Beijing. Yanzhao Evening News commented on Tuesday:

Few would agree the randomly distributed stools are part of the sharing economy, although their operators argue that what they are doing is in the interest of Beijing residents, who do not have enough public seats.

However, the business is simply not sustainable. Only four of the over a dozen "shared" stools at a bus station remained after less than a day. And the advertising and promotions on the stools are not authorized. Also, the stools may constitute illegal use of public space.