AFTER DISCOVERING a crack in a road, Li Weiqi, an auxiliary traffic police officer in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, East China, promptly directed traffic around it while four of his colleagues placed cones around it. Soon after they had arranged the cones, the crack became a 6-foot-deep sinkhole. Chutian Metropolis Daily said on Thursday:

A video clip of the traffic police officers at work around the hole went viral online. Although not thrilling, it demonstrated the efficiency of the substitute officers, which is worthy of praise. Li and his colleagues did their best to fulfill their duties to the best of their abilities.

However, in reality, we often see the opposite. Nobody takes responsibility for a damaged pavement or manhole cover; nobody repairs dilapidated pipelines, or sewers that cause accidents, even deaths. The actions of the Hangzhou officers are in stark contrast with the irresponsibility of others charged with serving the public.