"When I opened the water cooler out of thirst, someone had completely cleared it out"
Published 19 Aug.2024 16:47(KST)
Local Governments Operate 'Bottled Water Refrigerators' for Citizens Amid Heatwave
"Taking Dozens of Bottles at Once"... Some Abuse the System
Bottled Water Sharing Involves About 200 Million Won in Taxes
The local governments' 'bottled water sharing' initiative for citizens struggling with the heatwave is becoming a hot topic.
As record-breaking heat continues, more local governments are providing free cold bottled water to citizens.
The 'bottled water refrigerators' set up along the streets by local governments are filled with cold bottled water. Anyone can take water for free to quench their thirst and cool down. In fact, hundreds of bottles are replenished daily, yet they quickly run out.
However, some incidents have caused citizens to frown. The rule is that each person should take only one bottle, but some people take multiple bottles without consideration for others.
On an online community, a post stated, "People of all ages used to cool off with a cold bottle of water, but since a certain point, by 5 p.m. the refrigerator was always empty," and "I witnessed an elderly woman carrying dozens of bottles at once."
In response, netizens commented, "They are not beggars but have no conscience," "This is not free for you to stockpile at home," and "Please consider others."
The bottled water sharing, which runs for about two months during the summer, is reported to cost around 200 million won in local government taxes. Citizens are expressing concern over those who abuse the policy.
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