San Francisco Avoids Double-Death

San Francisco public transit gives no quarter to cultural insensitivity. Or rather it's giving an extra one:

The monthly Fast Pass would jump from $35 to $43.75. Muni officials contemplated a $44 price tag on the Fast Pass but dropped the idea once informed that the number four signifies death in the Chinese culture, and 44 would represent double-death.

"It would have been really culturally stupid, insulting," said Lynch, noting that a large number of Fast Pass holders are Chinese American.

Conversely the numbers 8 and 9 are lucky, because they sound like good things. Money or prosperity is one of them. Hence many Chinese businesses have phone numbers that end in them.

And yup they avoid 4 like the plague. Even just a single digit 4, preferably not at all in the number and certainly not at the end.

I have a Chinese friend whom I think works on the 44th floor of the 101 California building downtown. I should ask him what it's like to have to press the double death button every day. (Actually we've discussed Chinese superstitions about health and money and they exasperate him).

What about the folks living out on 44th Avenue in the Sunset? That's a largely Chinese neighborhood. They've got to say double-death every time they give their address on the telephone. And see it underneath their name, like a waiting casket, on every piece of mail they receive.

Can you imagine what the year 1944 was like in China? First the Japanese, then having to see that on the wall every day.

When it comes to rabbit's foot superstitions about money and health, some derision can be good for the soul.

And probably more constructive than the standard terrified groveling:

"It would have been really culturally stupid, insulting," said Lynch, noting that a large number of Fast Pass holders are Chinese American.

And aside from the coddling of childish rituals, and the absurdity of demonizing common numbers, is the attitude displayed toward the Chinese here more accurately described as respectful, or patronizing?

Here's the test. Read this and see how it feels on the palate:

We were going to make it 13 cents, but then we realized this would be really culturally insensitive to the Irish.

It may make the Irish seem like a group you have to genuflect to, but it certainly does not make them seem more savvy or powerful--quite the opposite.

And the secret of ethnic "pride" is right there: you can only honor it in groups you tacitly consider inferior or incompetent, since anything else will seem humiliating. The hushed "appreciation" of a group is deadly to normal human relations.

"Please just treat me as a person and charge me the 44 bucks!"