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British man apologizes for tossing banana peel from car in southern Taiwan

British man issues video apology for tossing banana peel from car in southern Taiwan

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Tom apologizing. (Screenshot from Facebook group video)

Tom apologizing. (Screenshot from Facebook group video)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- A British man, who incurred the wrath of Taiwanese netizens for chucking a banana peel from the passenger side of a car while it drove through southern Taiwan, has issued a video apology for his actions.

On June 1, a Taiwanese man spotted a banana peel being tossed onto the shoulder of the road from the passenger side of a blue Toyota sedan as it drove through the Kenting National Park in Pingtung County's Hengchun Peninsula. The man followed the car until it hit a red light, and then he stepped up to the driver's side and confronted the female Taiwanese driver about the incident.

The Taiwanese man, who goes by the Facebook username Aswey Wu, posted the footage of the flying banana peel and the ensuing confrontation on the Hengchun Peninsula Public Affairs Discussion Group (恆春半島公共事務討論社團). Many Taiwanese were angered by the foreign national's act of littering, the incident quickly went viral on Taiwanese social media and within 24 hours many Taiwanese media outlets were starting to report the story.

British man apologizes for tossing banana peel from car in southern Taiwan
Moment banana peels are spotted flying from car. (Screenshot from Aswey Wu Facebook video)

In response, the British man posed an apology video to the Hengchun Peninsula Public Affairs Discussion Group on June 2 at 1:24 p.m. In the video, he introduced himself as "Tom" and confirmed that he was the person who tossed the banana peel from the car and that the female driver was his friend and is Taiwanese, but insisted that she "has nothing to do with this situation and she was just giving me a lift to Hengchun."

Tom then went on two explain that he had two bananas, both of which he ate while riding in the car. After finishing with them, he said that he threw both of the banana skins out the car window, without asking his friend.

He lamented that he "did not think before throwing them out the window." But he said that in his native England many people throw fruit out the window "because it decomposes, it's organic and it's natural. So when you throw it in nature, there's no problem."

He regretted that he did not take the local customs into consideration by saying:

"It was silly not to think that in Taiwan your culture is different and it may not be acceptable to throw fruit out of the window. So if I've offended anyone or if I've upset anyone with my action of throwing the banana out of the window."

Tom offers an apology and mentions that he is a Buddhist, which is relevant as Buddhism is one of the main religions in Taiwan:

"I'm really sorry. I'm Buddhist. I'm a nice guy. I don't want to upset anyone. I just threw the fruit out the window because it was finished and its natural. I never litter. I've never littered in my life. I'm just sorry it's caused so much upset."

He closed by reiterating that his Taiwanese friend had nothing to do with the incident and was very upset by the backlash.

British man apologizes for tossing banana peel from car in southern Taiwan
Wu's confrontation with the driver. (Screenshot from Aswey Wu Facebook video)

The apology failed to mollify many Taiwanese netizens:

"This man is disgraceful. He still dare to insist the UK allows people to litter fruits. He does not deserve forgiveness. Shame on him."

"Have a nice trip, don't be tripped!"

However, some Taiwanese noted the hypocrisy of many netizens since Taiwanese are not immune to littering themselves:

"For the first time I saw a person apologizing for littering, and it turned out to be a foreigner. Taiwanese are constantly throwing plastic bottles and whiskey bottles, tossing cigarette butts, and spitting betel nut saliva at red lights, but I never saw anyone apologize. Get it right!"

A Taiwanese netizen who watched the video of the confrontation posted a link to BBC article which reported a British man being fined £340 (NT$13,000) for tossing a banana peel from his car in 2009. In 2012, the BBC reported on a woman in the UK who was fined £150 (NT$6,000) for tossing an apple core out of her car.

According to Taiwan's Environmental Protection Agency, the fine for littering ranges between NT$1,200 to NT$6,000.