In the soup for having some soup

One of the most infuriating sights on the road, especially when one is not guilty of a similar act, is of people driving with one hand on the wheel and a cell-phone in the other, whether it is a motorbike, car or larger vehicles like buses. The infuriation rises if, instead of merely talking on the cell-phone, the drivers start texting, taking their eyes off the road. Yes, doing this is illegal and subject to fines, but it happens all the time.

However, Hồ Thanh Dân went further than all the mobile users of mobile-phones, and he did not even use a phone. (Too smart for that, we guess.) The bus driver, on a long-distance route, took both his hands off the wheel (yes, he was driving, the bus was mobile, not stationary) to enjoy a bowl of noodle soup.

Needless to say, he in the soup now, after someone posted a video online, using a smart phone (Isn’t there a lesson in there somewhere?), but the story gets another interesting twist, a legal soup, in fact.

Colonel Hồ Văn Lai, head of Lâm Đồng Province’s traffic police department, said yesterday that his officers were having trouble with fixing a suitable penalty for the bus driver, because the law only deals with using phones while driving, nothing about having a bowl of soup. Washing his hands off the affair, in effect, he said the provincial transport department is responsible for fining the driver.

Lai also said the traffic transport police office would request an amendment to the law. As of now, the driver is safe because of a legal loophole, although his action put the lives of dozens of passengers in danger. Well, almost. In another move, transport inspectors have suspended the driver. So, after all the twists and turns, some justice was done. You have to hand it to the officials for finding a way out. 

Solving the ethical paradox of Schrodinger’s Cat

From Dickensian days, stories have surfaced now and then about orphans being mistreated in orphanages, and similar stories have also emerged about pets in rescue centres.   

However, a recent expose of one particular dog and cat rescue centre in Đà Nẵng City has appalled pet lovers nation-wide.

V.V.C, responsible for receiving, taking care of and finding new owners for dogs and cats, was accused by a colleague of selling dogs and cats to slaughterhouses.

Through social media, an old staffer at the centre also accused V.V.C of beating up pets and posting images of the injured animals on Facebook along with tearful stories about their fate, requesting donations to better their lot.

After days of silence, V.V.C responded on Facebook with the real story behind the accusations.

He said he started receiving ownerless pets to take care of in a 10sq.m rental room. He had to sell all his private property to equip the room with facilities for pets. But the room became cramped and neighbours began complaining about the smell and the noise.

Every time they barked or dirtied the neighbourhood, he had to use force to prevent them from disturbing and upsetting neighbours, he wrote.         

He confessed that he lacked medical knowledge as well as money to give the animals the care that they deserved. Worse, the “centre” was overloaded with pets.

“I sell some to customers who are pet lovers. Others that no one wants to feed, I must sell to the dog meat restaurant,” he wrote.  

“I do everything to get enough money to foster the pet rescue centre.”

If this explanation does not solve the paradox of Schrodinger’s Cat, we can turn to an American general for understanding. He explained a war crime thus: “It became necessary to destroy the town to save it.” -- VNS