Had it not been for Wednesday's killing spree in Shanghai's suburban Fengxian district in which a man from Jiangsu Province killed two of his relatives and injured many others with a kitchen knife, certain foreigners might have been the main topic of conversation this week.

The Fengxian tragedy was triggered by conflicts between the man, surnamed Zang, and his sister over money. Zang killed his sister and then her mother-in-law. Before being restrained, he managed to injure 11 others, among them six pupils from a nearby primary school. Police are still investigating the case.

As far as overseas names are concerned, designer Vera Wang was once again in the headlines when the Shanghai branch of her global fashion empire scrapped the 3,000 yuan ($482) fee to try on merchandise. The charge was seen as a discriminatory practice against Chinese consumers in that none of the brand's other outlets imposed such a fee. The Global Times' exposure of this policy in early February led to a worldwide outcry and heated debate, the result being that the company was forced to reverse their earlier decision. It's certainly good news for local brides-to-be.

And there was another foreigner-related story this week, the exact ramifications of which are still uncertain.

When friends sent me a photo of six Western men allegedly urinating on a stretch of Shanghai's elevated highway, I initially dismissed the whole incident as a misunderstanding.

But then a spokesman from the city's public security bureau confirmed on his Sina Weibo account that they contacted the bus company involved who confirmed that these six Danish men did actually spend a penny in public view.

The bus company said that, after drinking a lot, the men told the driver to pull over so that they could relieve themselves. The driver, not wanting to appear unfriendly, did as he was asked. Some netizens expressed their anger, claiming that such foreigners are humiliating Chinese people by such actions. And some jokingly suggested these men should be deported immediately and barred from returning to China.

Where Denmark is concerned, people of my generation automatically think of the Little Mermaid and many other characters created by the writer Hans Christian Andersen. Are these six men representative of modern-day Danes? I'm sure the rest of Denmark certainly hopes not. But the photographic evidence proves they behaved very inappropriately.

Both Chinese and English media reported on Wednesday that there are currently no guidelines determining the possible punishment for urinating in public places. So in effect, it seems these men are immune to any legal or fiscal penalty. The bus driver will be held accountable for misbehaving as far as traffic regulations are concerned and he stands to be fined 200 yuan and to have six demerit points added to his driving license. If a driver receives 12 demerit points in a year, their license will be suspended.

This development enraged netizens even further. Why should a poor driver be held accountable for the bad behavior of others? On Wednesday evening, the police spokesman made a further comment, stating that no decision had yet been made about possible legal action.

Whatever the result, it has put the local police in something of a dilemma.

As a female resident of Shanghai for 20 years, I admit it's not uncommon to see men, especially taxi drivers, urinating in public places, even on the elevated highway. It's a shameful and uncivilized practice in most people's minds.

If there is any difference between these men and locals doing the same, the Danes seemed to be taking delight in their misdemeanor and certainly didn't go to any length to hide their shame.

Local men, at least, try to do it in a corner or hidden from view.

We Chinese always say that when you leave your hometown, you should watch and moderate your behavior and language because, in effect, you are representing your family, hometown or even country. Some parents tell their children that, although they may be spoiled at home, their demands wouldn't, and shouldn't, be tolerated elsewhere.

And I'd say these traditional Chinese beliefs probably apply to most societies around the world.

If you misbehave, your family, hometown and motherland will also be implicated in your misdeeds, however unfair that may seem.

And this is a lesson that these Danish men should remember when they travel away from home. Incidents like this will never become a diplomatic issue, but they will certainly make an impression.

The author is the managing editor of Global Times Metro Shanghai. fengyu@globaltimes.com.cn