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■鴨寮街的商販在發生擲鏹彈案後，只是繼續如常做生意，並沒有同心合力爭取在「黃金一分鐘」內捉拿疑兇。資料圖片
同樣是國際知名的旅遊景點，商販表現的公德心卻有天壤之別。上次油麻地廟街擲鏹彈事件，在樓下做生意的商販齊心不顧生意，爭取「黃金一分鐘」的捉賊時機，分頭把守可疑大廈的出入口，助警緝拿擲鏹狂徒。然而，3月7日鴨寮街商販卻懶理，繼續埋首招呼客人做生意。
當日傍晚事發時，正值鴨寮街攤檔做生意的黃金時間，雖天氣轉冷兼下雨，但因是假日，遊人不絕。狂徒擲下的鏹彈擊中攤檔簷蓬發出巨響且冒白煙，但大部分商販似乎司空見慣，未有提高警惕。現場消息表示，事發時並無商販想起要立即把守可疑大廈的出入口阻截狂徒，甚至遭腐液灼傷的途人亦只是用清水自行清洗後，即若無其事般離開。
在相距現場僅10米外、售賣手機配件的商販劉小姐直言「一直忙於做生意，看見警車、救護車到場，才知發生擲鏹彈事件。」
相反上次廟街出現擲彈狂徒，商販一呼百應立即放下生意，爭取在疑人逃離現場的「黃金一分鐘」時間內，守住附近可疑大廈的出入口，直至警員接手。結果警員稍後在大廈內拘獲一名男子，雖事後證實他與擲彈案無關，但商販的行動已起阻嚇作用。
Busy Doing Business, No Time to Fight Crime
Both are internationally renowned tourist attractions; however, retailers' attitudes towards civic duties are remarkably different. When an acid bomb was thrown onto the Temple Street in Yau Ma Tei, all the retailers working there left their business behind and seized the "key minute" trying to catch the offender. They separately guarded every exit of the suspicious buildings and helped the police to search for the attacker. It was quite a different picture when a similar incident occurred on 7 March in Ap Liu Street. Retailers there were totally indifferent and they carried on with their business with customers as usual as the incident occurred.
It was during peak hours of business in a holiday evening. The stalls in Ap Liu Street were crowded with visitors shopping around in spite of the cold weather and the rain. An acid bomb dropped by a maniac hit the canopy of a stall, creating a loud noise and white fumes. Surprisingly, most of the retailers did not seem alarmed when the attack occurred. According to sources at the scene, none of the retailers were aware of the need to immediately guard the exits of the suspicious buildings and to intercept the offender. Even passers-by who suffered burns due to the acid were on their own. They simply washed their wounds with water and then walked away as if nothing had ever happened.
Ms Lau, who was selling mobile phone accessories in less than 10 metres from the scene, said she was busy doing business at the time and did not know about the acid attack until a police car and an ambulance arrived.
This was in stark contrast to what happened when an acid bomb attack took place in Temple Street some time ago. Then, most of the retailers put aside their work and in collaboration raced to the exits of the buildings to prevent the suspect from escaping in the "key minute". They stood guard in the building until the police arrived and took over. Eventually, the police arrested a man in the building. Although it was later proven that he had nothing to do with the attack, it was believed that the retailers' action had served as a deterrent. ■Translation by開明
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