Airport Photo: VCG

In a bizarre incident, two women were detained by police in Central China's Hubei Province on Monday for tossing coins for good luck before boarding a flight. 

According to the official announcement, the suspects, Kong (female, 58) and Chen (female, 64), were traveling from Hubei's Wuhan to Guiyang in Southwest China's Guizhou Province for a holiday when they decided to treat the airport as a wishing well for good luck due to feudal superstitions.

As they were boarding the plane, each of the women threw a RMB 5-cent coin towards the aircraft, which was deemed as disrupting public order and constituted an illegal act. They were subsequently given administrative penalties for disturbing public order.

Authorities issued a warning, emphasizing that an airplane is not a place for making wishes and urged people to refrain from similar dangerous behavior. 

According to China's Public Security Administration Punishments Law, the actions of Kong and Chen were considered as disrupting public order, leading to their detention for a short period of time.

The police have reminded all passengers that airplanes are not places for making wishes and that such deed could have severe consequences, like potential accidents if the coins were to interfere with the aircraft's operation. Airlines also have the right to demand compensation for any damages caused.

Experts have expressed concern over the belief that throwing coins at airplanes can bring good luck. They have called for stricter regulations by civil aviation authorities and airlines to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. Additionally, they emphasized the importance of educating first-time flyers on the prohibition of illegal behaviors that could jeopardize aviation safety.

Global Times