The Power Arrogance Behind the Sentence 'You Even Dare to Curse at a Section Chief'

On May 26, a Meituan delivery driver in Heilongjiang reported that while delivering food, when passing through a narrow road that could only accommodate one vehicle, he did not proactively give way, and was thus insulted by a man driving a car. The delivery driver stated that the other party started cursing first, and he subsequently responded with a remark.

But the matter did not end there. According to the delivery driver's description, the station leader later found him, and instead of asking about the situation in detail, directly reprimanded him, and emphasized, 'The person you encountered today is a section chief chief at Northeast Petroleum University.'

Subsequently exposed voice chat records show that the other man was emotionally agitated in the call, even directly using profanity, saying: 'Damn it, you even dare to curse at a section chief.'

What attracted more public attention is that the delivery driver claimed the leader eventually notified him directly: 'You don't need to come tomorrow.' In other words, a simple road dispute evolved into the result of a platform rider losing his job.

Currently, the relevant chat records and reports have spread online, but the involved platform and Northeast Petroleum University have not yet publicly responded, and relevant details are still to be further verified.

However, the reason this incident sparked extensive discussion is not just because of the argument itself, but because of the 'identity hierarchy' logic exposed within it, which has long existed in Chinese society. When an argument occurs between ordinary people, it should be a matter of right or wrong, but once the identity of 'section chief' is brought up, the matter immediately transforms from a civil dispute into 'how dare you.'

In the Chinese social context, 'section chief' is originally just a very ordinary administrative position within the system, but many people habitually treat this position as a symbol of power. Especially when facing platform workers such as delivery drivers, courier drivers, and ride-hailing drivers, some personnel within the system often naturally possess a sense of superiority. Many netizens also ironically remarked that the biggest characteristic of certain grassroots bureaucratic systems in China is that 'the officialdom is small, but the officialdom's prestige is not small.'

Meanwhile, the rider group in the platform economy is itself long-term in an extremely vulnerable position. Algorithm-driven order pressure, overtime fines, customer complaints, and station penalties have already left riders with little room for appeal. Once they encounter someone with social resources or an identity within the system, the platform often tends to 'settle the matter quietly,' and the cost is borne by the lowest-level workers.

Many believe that the reason such incidents continue to appear is essentially a reflection of a power structure deeply embedded in daily life: in a society that long emphasizes hierarchy, identity, and obedience, the 'do you know who I am' logic has long penetrated into the ordinary conflicts of ordinary people. Even a simple dispute over passing cars, can quickly evolve into a professional punishment for low-level workers.