At a new restaurant you can not only enjoy the dishes on offer,
but can also smash them, in a new service to help customers let out
their pent-up feelings or release pressure.
Outlines of a man and a woman are painted on the walls of three
"abreaction rooms" in the restaurant. "Imagining those people for
whom you hate, customers blow off anger by throwing dishes against
them," a staff member told the Beijing Evening News.
"A plate costs 10 yuan, while porcelain utensils vary from 30 to
200 yuan," the staff member continued, standing amidst pieces of
broken porcelain all over the place. The minimum charge for the
special therapy is said to be 50 yuan, about 6.6 USD.
Ever since the service was offered half a month ago, nearly 300
dishes have sacrificed themselves for the customers' mental
health.
"Such behaviour is a great waste of resources," criticized Mr.
Wang, "breaking plates isn't a necessarily way to ease one's
temper."
Psychology expert Zong Chunshan agrees with the opinion. He says
people do need measures to deal with pressure, but smashing dishes
is not supposed to be one of them. What's more, the impulse for
violence triggered by such behaviour may affect their daily
life.
"I don't feel safe to eat in a restaurant when people around me
are full of anger," Miss Lv gravely commented.
A male customer stands in one of the
"abreaction rooms" in a restaurant in Beijing. The restaurant
provides a new service to its customers, helping them release
pressure by smashing dishes.?
(CRI.cn August 3, 2007)
