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The Chinese Hotel Gas Mask Dilemma

Where: Changsha, Hunan, China

Believe it or not, we have actually seen a gas mask for guests in a Chinese hotel before — in the Aloft Beijing, to be precise. These gas masks are apparently not so rare in Chinese hotels, and they should help you survive if you have to evacuate the building in case of a fire.

Surprising, but we get it. What has bamboozled us, however, is the gas masks apparently available at the Hunan Civil Aviation Hotel in Changsha: you have to pay 200 yuan ($30) for them, as Swedish blogger Jonna recently discovered.

Several problems here. Do you pay for it in advance, judging on how likely you think the fire risk will be? Do you grab your wallet at the first sign of a fire? And the worst bit: the room has three beds, but only one gas mask. Is it only the fastest credit card grabber who survives?

[Photo: Jonna Wibelius]