Studying in the UK: Treat people as people

On March 17, 2014, the article "Treat People as People" was reported by.

Near PORTBELLO Antique Street in London, this poster on the wall caught the attention of this passerby and me. British singer Joe Strummer famously said: Without the people, you are nothing.

Every half month, clean bath towels, sheets, and quilts will be placed on the railing outside my room. I told the landlord Wini that it would be enough to change it once a month. Her answer is NO.

My readers may think there is something wrong with this landlord, just like I thought at first. After traveling in London for more than a month, what I saw and heard made me feel relieved.

When I first arrived in London, I went to the office to hand in my card, but my computer broke down. The staff said enthusiastically, "You can take the train from one station to the next station, and it only takes two minutes." I didn’t have a card at that time, so she said: “Free”.

A particularly simple way to find out how civilized a city is is to ask a stranger for help on the street or in a car. In London, the most common thing outsiders do is to ask for directions. In my experience, I get enthusiastic responses.

Why is this happening? Although this kind of interpersonal relationship that we were once familiar with is no longer common in mainland China, how can it continue in overseas cities such as London? I have thought about it for a long time, and I feel that the deeper concept behind "Everyone for one, one for everyone" is: "Treat people as human beings."

Of course it is not false, but real. For example, in London, there are almost no zebra crossings, but there are traffic lights and buttons designed for passers-by. Very convenient. Once the green light turns on for pedestrians, motor vehicles often stop all the way. Likewise, at intersections without traffic lights, it is common for motor vehicles to wait for pedestrians to pass.

In January this year, a British newspaper had a news headline: "Crazy... A driver held his head in his hands and drove 60 kilometers: the video is proof."

The British police fined him and banned him from driving for 12 months. Obviously, when you don't take your own life seriously, others will. What's more, such behavior may cost other people's lives.

Sometimes it seems a bit exaggerated to sacrifice some big stick policies for the sake of a person’s life. But there is actually an internal logic. Because of the development of large-scale industrial production, capitalist society has developed into an organic society, and the level of civilization has also been improved.

On January 18, the body of Mikaeel Kular, a 3-year-old boy who went missing in Edinburgh, was found by the police. The discovery of the body was broadcast live on BBC, ITV and other television stations. In the past few days, the police and local volunteers recruited hundreds of people to join the search team.

This is the real-life version of "Saving Private Ryan," but it's about rescue and search in peacetime. Behind the disregard for the cost is the humanism that permeates every cell of society.

Because of the basic concept of treating people as people, we will easily find that London is really a mixed city: it is the most culturally diverse city in the world (more than 300 languages ??are spoken), and 30% Many locals were not born in London.

In cities, you can easily see a large number of Africans, Indians, and Chinese.

Many bus drivers and subway attendants are black, and at the BBC, all morning, daytime and evening anchors are black. Hong Kong's Li Ka-shing is even more of a benchmark. He controls the three basic industries of water, electricity and gas in the UK. The British say he "almost bought the UK". None of this counts: From the perspective of the British royal family, Kate, who was born as a commoner, can become a contemporary princess and further interpret the concept of equality for everyone.

Therefore, living in London, "harmonious society" may be more accurately summarized. This concept is regarded as political discourse in China, but in London, it is its true manifestation.

For example, GP registration (General practitioners means general practitioners) is a manifestation of the British National Health Insurance System's respect for individuals. Even if China is not a "reciprocal medical country" in the UK, as long as you study or live in the UK for more than six months, you can register for free.

In addition, "treating people as human beings" is also reflected in: on the bus, there is also a special red STOP button to remind passengers to stop the driver; in your life, there are "thank you" voices everywhere .

In addition to attitude, treating people as human beings also has warmth. For example, at the end of 2013, tens of thousands of people watched the New Year's Eve fireworks display on the banks of the Thames. After the show, one of the most spectacular sights was the tourists taking photos with the police at the scene. They welcomed all who came. In the early morning of January 1, subways and buses (many of which are Tongxiao) are free, making it convenient for those going home in the early morning of New Year.

Of course, in London, services are not always in place. For example, at the end of 2013, the UK suffered widespread flooding, with 130,000 households severely affected, and around Christmas, 150,000 households were without power. One of the reasons for the power outage was that many employees of the power company were on holiday for Christmas, and the telephone repair center was unable to cope with the problem.

The world is not perfect. ——Isn’t it? In heaven, you still have to be monitored by God.

Now we can finally understand my landlord’s seemingly strange actions. She just thinks you should live a cleaner life, just like everyone else.

However, these four words, "Treat people as human beings", may take many generations of people's lives to remain just a slogan.

(Editor: Lu Xi)

Thank you for reading "Regarding People as People". The article comes from BBC and is collected, organized and reprinted. For more information, please visit:/k_bbc/