Teenagers Ordered to pay $1.5 Million for Urinating in Hot Pot
Shanghai, China – Two Shanghai teenagers and their parents have been ordered by a court to jointly pay 2.2 million yuan (approximately $310,000 USD or 9.7 million baht) in damages after they urinated in a hot pot at a Hai Di Lao restaurant in February. Teh incident,captured in a video that went viral online,sparked widespread public outrage and prompted the restaurant to file a lawsuit.
The teenagers, identified by surnames Tank and Wu, reportedly climbed onto a table and urinated directly into a shared hot pot while at the restaurant. Wu then uploaded a video of the act to the internet, further fueling the controversy. Hai Di Lao estimated that over 4,000 customers may have used the contaminated hot pot in the 12 days following the incident, leading to concerns about public health and hygiene.
The Huang pu People’s Court ruled that the teenagers and six parents must issue a public apology in print media and cover the restaurant’s expenses, totaling 2.2 million yuan. This includes 130,000 yuan for damages to equipment and cleaning costs, 2,000,000 yuan for damage to the business’s reputation, and 70,000 yuan for legal fees.
Following the incident, Hai di Lao issued an apology and stated that all hot pots and related equipment were destroyed and thoroughly sterilized. The restaurant also offered compensation to customers potentially affected by the contamination, equivalent to ten times the cost of their meal. The case highlights the potential legal and financial consequences of reckless behavior and the importance of maintaining hygiene standards in public dining establishments.