Saturday, October 19, 2019

People in China Pay Money to Vent Their Stress in an Anger Room. A True Story.



We all experience stress at work. When I worked in an office, I had to leave situations and take a walk to calm down more than once. I always felt this was better than being charged with a crime and spending time in jail. It was close at times. The other people in the places where I worked had their own ways of dealing with stress and anger. One woman would eat little pieces of chocolate when she was stressed. If I went past her cubical, her cheeks were filled with chocolate and she had the appearance of a chipmunk with a mouthful of chocolate grain, I knew not to say anything. Another woman would base her stress on the amount of gum she chewed. Viewing her cubical filled with dozens of empty chewing gum wrappers around her desk and on the floor was a sign to not ask. It appears the Chinese have come upon a unique and effective way for workers to vent their stress during work. They pay money to smash things in an anger room.


(Sarcasm Alert)

I'm sure there is a restriction on hitting items with a baseball bat and not individuals who are the sources of the stress. If hitting people were involved, it would probably be very cost prohibitive. The vast majority of workers would not be able to pay all of the legal bills involved.

Below are some excerpts from the story with my valuable insights in italics.


BEIJING (Reuters) - It took Smash customer Qiu Siyu just a few sharp blows with a baseball bat to wreck what looked like an old car radio, after which two friends battered telephones, audio speakers, rice cookers and even a mannequin.

All three paid 158 yuan ($23) to spend half an hour in an “anger room” in Beijing, where patrons wearing protective gear use hammers and bats to vent their frustration on household objects while staff plays music of their choice in the background.

If the employees of a company get a discount when using a local anger room, it may be a good reason to think twice about working for that particular company. It seems you get a lot for your money. Not only does the cost cover smashing stuff with a baseball bat or hammer, but it also includes protective gear and you get to have the music of your choice playing. I would probably choose something like AC/DC to be played in the background as I use a sledgehammer to destroy things. A person playing Miles Davis may use a very nice stick to smash things. Someone listening to Samantha Bouquin may be more depressed than angry and feel bad for the items being smashed. I'm sure they have a musical arrangement for everyone.


Since the venture opened in September, customers have smashed around 15,000 bottles every month, said 25-year-old Jin Meng, who co-founded Smash with her friends.
Not intended to promote violence, Smash aims to help people deal with the pressures of living in big cities like Beijing, Jin said, adding that their target customers are between 20 and 35 years old.

You have to wonder how such a business idea happens. Did someone come home after a difficult day and smash things with a baseball bat, they realize many people feel like him and he could make money off of it. A light bulb went off in his mind, and he then quickly hit it with a hammer and began creating a business plan. I think this may not be necessary in New York City. People smash things with baseball bats all the time and nobody thinks twice about it.

“I just smashed a bunch of bottles and appliances with a baseball bat.”
“Did you pay money and do it inside an anger room?”
“I guess you could say in a way that was the case.”
“How much did it cost you?”
“I don't know yet. I'll have to wait until my neighbor who always takes my parking spot gets home and discovers what I did in his apartment.”
“Oh.”


Another customer, Liu Chao, 32, looked relaxed and pleased after his session.
“If you have money, you can smash anything - smash some TVs, computers, wine bottles, furniture, mannequins, but the only thing you can’t do is to smash someone,” said Liu. 
Similar ventures already exist in other countries, including the United States.
Jin said around 600 people visit Smash each month.

This may not be considered a good place to take someone on a first date. I would say this is more like a third date activity. If the person you're with starts smashing things and saying your name, it may be time to rethink the relationship.

I'm sure after half an hour of smashing things you may not only be pleased but also a little tired.

“I had a great workout. I spent an hour on the treadmill.”
“I also had a good workout. I spent an hour doing free weights.”
“I had a fantastic workout.”
“What did you do?”
“Smash televisions, computers as well as furniture and some mannequins with a baseball bat.”
“You belong to one unusual gym.”
“You should see how we do rage yoga.”
“I can only imagine.”



“A woman brought all her wedding photos here, and she smashed them all. We welcome people to bring their own stuff,” Jin said.

“Every time when we come across cases like this, they affirm our belief that we’ve provided a safe place to let out negative energy. And we are happy about that.”

This would be a great place to bring stuff after a divorce. I can only imagine what it would be like to smash things you hated from your marriage. When they ask for the property from the divorce settlement, a person could bring a bag of broken items. I'm sure even couples who love one another could hate items their spouse likes.


“Did you see my Oriental looking statue with the naked lady that looks like a fish on it? It is something my mother gave us for our first anniversary?”
“Maybe.”
“What do you mean maybe?”
“I have seen it in more than one place. I've seen it all over.”
“Huh?”

I'm also sure mistakes happen.

“What happened to the new computer I bought before I went into the anger room?”
“Oooop, ah, don't ask.”

Here is a link to the article.


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