I don't think anybody is 'trying to figure' anything out. It's more of a 'rant' that will pass. If it was really an issue, most of us would have left China. Everybody complains at one point or another.

@Liumingke: Agreed.

I've seen local Chinese bus their own table and I've seen others leave their garbage for the staff to clear. Seems it's more an issue of upbringing and whether parents teach their children the art of service, responsibility, and respect - or if they spoil them (and everything in between).

I taught my kids to clean up after themselves and to help clean up when at relatives' homes or even fast food restaurants.

When I'm around I still have to do the "clean up your mess glare". When I'm not around - they usually resort to being lazy indolent social dregs, like their friends.

You can lead a horse to water...

Don’t open a fast food shop in an area (China) where it’s customers always act the same way (Chinese way) at restaurants and then expect them to suddenly come to this FFS (fast food shop) and follow some rules set out with a western viewpoint.

It ain’t gonna happen, at least not too soon.

Anyhow many FFS I’ve been to in the west have the same thing done by lazy customers who just leave it all behind, it’s not a Chinese problem.

Michael, there's no single 'art of service', responsibility and respect. Ask your Chinese friends what they think of the general upbringing of kids from your country - though they'll probably be polite and avoid telling you what they really think. Cleaning your own table in western fast food restaurants was invented by McDonald's etc. folks to save money on labor and increase profits. Maybe we should all clean our own tables in all restaurants, why not?

I'd say it's a combination of IDGAFk and the habbit of street workers cleaning everything thrown on the street.

But, since Chinese citizens want to become civilized it's our duty to show a good example and be courtious to others.
I wont feel as compelled to bring my tray on a slow time slot but i will clean up after myself when it's busy...

Ish - USA is the same - some are well raised - others not so much. Ask the French their opinions of Americans...

In (western) fast food joints one of the reasons to ask customers to clean their tables is the cost factor.

In busier places it's easily at least one person's full time salary to handle that, and that cost would be transferred to item prices for customers to pay.

And here we get to two major difference in developed western countries and China.

On one hand the salaries and additional employment costs in China are much lower, and on other the Chinese consumers are more price sensitive, in the sense that they'd happily pay more to show off their wealth.

Meanwhile in west the employers would save where ever they can without losing too many customers to competitors, and those customers understand this too. Taking care of your own rubbish means cheaper burgers.

I didn't mention this to get into a pissing contest about Americans, French or Chinese.
I simply was curious about the mindset, suggesting it was a "face" thing. I've lived here 15 years now, and frankly I learned a long time ago not to be bothered by much at all (anywhere). I can well deal with the many curiosities that befall Chinese culture. Some people on here should chill out and stop being so defensive. (Probably a symptom of not able handle their own living in China.)

With that said, let me assure you I could give a rats ass what the French think of Americans.