Benz Driver to Jaguar Driver: “Poor People are People Too!”

Over the past two nights, the below video of a television news report from two years ago in 2012 suddenly went viral on the Chinese internet (again). It even became the top trending hashtag yesterday on leading Chinese microblogging platform Sina Weibo…

On Sina Weibo:

#New Standard for Poverty#

Introduction: At around 10pm on May 26th, on the stretch of road near the newly built cinema in Kunming, a fight broke out between [drivers of] a Jaguar and a Mercedes-Benz over a small matter, with the Jaguar driving against traffic [or on the opposite side of the street] in front of the Benz forcing it to stop. The Jaguar driver used his hand and heavily smacked the Benz’s hood resulting in him coming to blows with the driver of the Benz. The male Benz driver simultaneously beat and angrily yelled [at the Jaguar driver]: “So you think you can do whatever you want just because you’re rich? Did your parents never teach you that poor people are people too?!”

Comments from Sina Weibo:

艹一由八冈刂：

How did a positive news story become a negative one?! The Jaguar was behind the Benz and brushed a pedestrian when overtaking. The Benz driver couldn’t stand for this so he flashed his high-beams at the Jaguar, only for the Jaguar driver to be unhappy about it and force the Benz to a stop thinking he would teach the Benz driver a lesson. In the end, the three pathetic people couldn’t win against a single person. (The Benz driver yelling that line was to speak on out behalf of the pedestrian.) For a promising young man [the Benz driver] to be described by the writer [or newscaster] like that, I’m speechless.

狮子王沫沫：

The highlight is the Jaguar driver’s friend in the Porsche seeing the Benz driver winning one against three, and then fleeing by driving away…

ricky–wang：

I’ve always thought I was poor. It was only when I saw this piece of news that I realized, fuck, I don’t even have enough qualifications to be poor…

蓝毛线1234：

Turns out people driving Benzes are also poor people. As someone who finally learns the truth, tears silently fall down my face.

湖江波：

The Jaguar driver is the car’s owner while the Benz driver is just a driver [a hired driver]. If this isn’t the reason, I don’t plan on living anymore.

Comments from Sina Weibo:

行者顺斯：

I’ve always considered myself a poor person, but now I’m not so sure anymore, and am beginning to think I am not a person.

Capella_林：

[a copy and paste of the same comment by 艹一由八冈刂 above]

la_啦_la_啦：

So are those of us who don’t even know which is more expensive, a Jaguar or a Benz, not even considered people at all?

Super_Yang_OY：

These poor cunts are so niubi [arrogant] just because they’re driving cars costing hundreds of thousands to millions [of RMB]. When I go out, I’m always riding public transportation that costs hundreds of millions, but do you see me making a big deal? Ugh, it’s just that my driver is too warmhearted, picking up people whenever he sees them, so it’s a bit crowded.

丶三水：

Fuck, if you don’t drive a Ferrari, you don’t even have the standing to intervene here.

_iris-z：

This news should be spread to Taiwan, so they will understand the true situation in China… [refers to Taiwanese talk shows discussing how mainland people are so poor they can’t even afford tea eggs]

Soramimi：

There are only five types of men. Tall, rich, and handsome; short, rich, and handsome; tall, rich, and ugly; short, rich and ugly; and beasts.

套OO套：

The reason is because that Jaguar driver had yelled at a man riding a bicycle on the side of the road. The Benz driver spoke up in defense of the bicyclist and that’s why the Jaguar driver got in his face! That’s why the Benz driver said what he said!

汽车营销分析：

The Benz driver is really smart, having viciously beat the Jaguar driver and simultaneously occupied the moral high ground in public opinion.

In addition to comments explaining what happened to correct the humorous notion of a Benz driver being considered “poor”, many other comments laugh at the Jaguar driver starting the fight only to be thoroughly beaten along with his friends by the single angry Benz driver.

Because the report mentions the incident occurred on May 26th, quite a few Chinese netizens and media mistakenly thought it was a recent incident because they did not notice the upload date of the original video on Youku. One example is this article on QQ that was eventually deleted.