2008.07.18

More observations: 1) the hand-held, hands-free headset, and 2) China dogs regulation


i) the hand-held, hands-free headset

Cellphone headsets have been around for a while now. Whether wired or bluetooth, I think they're great. They free our hands to take care of more important business like driving. Yet even when I drive, I never use my headset. I simply don't pick up the phone. It's a distraction from the leisure of driving anyway.

But the headset has also assumed a prominent role as fashion accessory. Today I rediscovered the phenomenon of the hand-held, hands-free headset. Granted, people all over the world use headsets, but personally I think it's a much more common occurrence in Hong Kong for users to hold their mic piece up to their mouths even though it's designed as a hands-free device. While on the MTR (subway) ride, three people around me, both men and women, talked on their headsets in this manner. This habit can be broken down into two standard practices:

Exhibit 1 illustrates the classic hand-held, hands-fee headset technique. This is most common when the upper-body clothing article is not conducive for mic clipping, and also gives the bonus impression of a secret service agent.

Exhibit 2 illustrates the twice-redundant hand-held, hands-free headset technique. The user typically cannot make up his / her mind on which device to speak into, and so holds up both the phone and mic piece to his / her mouth. At times, said user does not actually place the phone up against their face, but rather hovers it in the general vicinity some 6-8 inches away. It's not so much the act of speaking into the phone, since the headset does the job anyway, but hoisting the phone triggers muscle memory, which further incites mental recognition of talking on the phone. This technique signifies to others that the user is in fact in conversation with someone else, not just talking randomly to themselves, and warns off potential psycho-stares.

Either technique is fine, since both are practices in redundancy, and if we're to be redundant, might as well do it in style.


ii) China dogs regulation

While in Beijing last year, I found out that taxes on pet ownership had been falling, prompting many urban households to purchase their beloved dogs. In fact, year-on-year dog ownership rates in Beijing increased by 17.3% as reported by the South China Morning Post.

(p.s., the SCMP is my only source of local news here because, frankly, it's the only one available in English.)

This rapid rate of increase has brought about a noise problem. A conservative solution may be to increase taxes on pet ownership to discourage people from buying dogs, reducing the population and potential noise levels. But c'mon now! Why be shy when one can be bold? The Chinese government has recently implemented a canine population control law in the form of... a HEIGHT LIMIT!

The new height limit is set at 35cm. Dogs in violation of said limit may be either locked up or put down. Not sure if or what penalties are leveraged on the owners.



Just when you thought such a measure only applies to buildings, apparently it can equally apply to animals. This measure was put in place because large dogs are perceived to generate more noise. No, we can't (morally at least) control how big dogs get or how much they bark, but of course, certain assumptions on dog size and volume level are at play here. I guess we'll see more of Paris Hilton and less of Snoop.


The SCMP also reports that:

"The ban is strictly enforced. Even a partially blind Paralympic medallist is unable to get her guide dog registered ahead of the Olympics, and the Paralympics in September, when she is due to run with the torch in the opening ceremony."

I wonder what other bold and ingenious strategies the Chinese can muster up when it has to deal with an increase in the number of stray dogs, all of which will undoubtedly be taller than 35cm. Perhaps to restrict their movement roaming around the city, the city will surprise us yet again with... a LIMBS LIMIT ? gosh...