The Register® — Biting the hand that feeds IT

Dog off the menu at Olympic restaurants

Sorry, sir, we're right out of Pekingese

Understand how application security is evolving

The Beijing Catering Trade Association has ordered 112 official Olympic restaurants to pull dog from their menus, in order to avoid outraging the delicate sensibilities of pet-loving foreign devils.

The ban is, the BBC explains, designed to "respect the habits of many countries and nationalities", and joins spitting on the pavement, queuing in a disorderly fashion and not smiling cheerfully at foreigners on the list of no-nos for the forthcoming games.

If someone does demand "fragrant meat", as the locals call it, restaurant staff should "patiently suggest another entree", according to Xiong Yumei, deputy director of the Beijing Tourism Bureau.

BBC's James Reynolds notes that the dog clampdown is "one of several steps taken by China to avoid foreign visitors being amused or offended by local customs". Strange then, that China has not rethought its Segway-mounted anti-terror squad or its habit of jailing dissident bloggers - likely to cause amusement and offence, respectively. ®

Bootnote

Actually, we're right behind hard jail time for bloggers. Breaking rocks for a couple of years will cure 'em of the urge to discuss at great length what their cat did last night.

Understand how application security is evolving

Don’t Miss

Win a Samsung C6625!

Reg Lucky Draw Windows Mobile handsets up for grabs

Palm_Pre_001_SMIs your cameraphone an oxymoron?

Pic Review iPhone 3G v iPhone 3GS v Palm Pre

Reg black vulture logoReg Mobile and Wireless newsletter is go! go! go!

Site news Email-tasm

Sign up, sign up for The Register IT security newsletter

Narrowcasting for the email classes