Photo: YouTube / Kelley Blue Book
If you got it, should you flaunt it? That’s the question that’s been sparking a heated debate on social media in China, after a father was criticized by teachers and fellow parents for dropping his son off to school in a Ferrari 488.
The man, surnamed Li, works as a senior executive in an unidentified property development company in southern China, the South China Morning Post reports. He is a father to a boy who is in junior school in Hangzhou, the Zhejiang province, and he happens to be loaded.
Because he works hard and is paid accordingly, he can afford to drive a Ferrari 488 as his personal car. This is also the same car he likes to drive his son to school in, but his decision didn’t sit well with school staff and other parents.
Worried that seeing an expensive sportscar parked at the curb every morning and one of their own getting out of it would make other kids want the same, one teacher warned Li that he would be better off if he switched to a less eye-catching car. Other parents backed him, in a series of exchanges taking place over WeChat.
In other words, they joined voices to let Li know that his wealth was offensive and that, by it, he was sending their kids the wrong message. Naturally, Li was not in agreement with this statement, so he fired back.
“If [seeing others] driving a racing car hurts feelings, your children are too sensitive,” he in response, as cited by the media outlet. “Besides, why should I buy another car just to serve your needs?”
Instead of an actual response, Li found out that he had been blocked from the school group and that he was being “socially boycotted” for his decision to continue driving his kid in the Ferrari.
The moment word of this got out on social media, a heated debate started. Most commenters seem to agree with Li: children need to be taught about the ever-present issue of wealth gap in their country and “banning” every luxury item (be it a car or not) out there is not going to do that. Instead, parents should have talked to their children and explained that Li just happened to be making about half a million dollars a year, so he could afford a Ferrari. Whereas they couldn’t.
Because he works hard and is paid accordingly, he can afford to drive a Ferrari 488 as his personal car. This is also the same car he likes to drive his son to school in, but his decision didn’t sit well with school staff and other parents.
Worried that seeing an expensive sportscar parked at the curb every morning and one of their own getting out of it would make other kids want the same, one teacher warned Li that he would be better off if he switched to a less eye-catching car. Other parents backed him, in a series of exchanges taking place over WeChat.
In other words, they joined voices to let Li know that his wealth was offensive and that, by it, he was sending their kids the wrong message. Naturally, Li was not in agreement with this statement, so he fired back.
“If [seeing others] driving a racing car hurts feelings, your children are too sensitive,” he in response, as cited by the media outlet. “Besides, why should I buy another car just to serve your needs?”
Instead of an actual response, Li found out that he had been blocked from the school group and that he was being “socially boycotted” for his decision to continue driving his kid in the Ferrari.
The moment word of this got out on social media, a heated debate started. Most commenters seem to agree with Li: children need to be taught about the ever-present issue of wealth gap in their country and “banning” every luxury item (be it a car or not) out there is not going to do that. Instead, parents should have talked to their children and explained that Li just happened to be making about half a million dollars a year, so he could afford a Ferrari. Whereas they couldn’t.
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