CHINA: A shocking incident in Lanzhou, China, on 12 September drew widespread online attention after a dashcam captured a seemingly selfless act turning ugly. A woman in the passenger seat of a car noticed an elderly man, estimated to be around 80 years old, stumbling across the road while carrying heavy bags. Since he was not using a zebra crossing, most cars refused to stop, but she stepped out to assist him, holding his arm for support while signaling passing traffic with her free hand.
Instead of expressing gratitude, the elderly man unexpectedly turned and slapped the woman hard enough to knock off her glasses. The woman was left momentarily stunned by the blow but did not retaliate, calmly picking up her glasses from the ground before returning to her car. Her quiet reaction contrasted sharply with the shocking behavior of the man she had just helped.
The incident was recorded by another driver’s dashcam from a nearby vehicle. The footage quickly circulated on Chinese social media, sparking heated discussions about respect, gratitude, and the risks of helping strangers in public. Many viewers praised the woman for her composure and criticized the elderly man for his behavior.
Local authorities were later able to identify the man and instructed him to apologize formally to the woman after she and her husband filed a police report. Witnesses stated that the two had no prior connection, emphasizing that she had simply acted out of kindness when she was assaulted.
