Changhua City Office was accused of delaying the clearing of weeds at a park on the grounds that "weeding is not allowed during Ghost Month," prompting public dissatisfaction, but the office has promised to deal with the matter immediately — good news for nearby residents.

• Members of the public reported that the weeds at the car park of Xiangyang Park in Changhua City had grown too tall, and worried that snakes might emerge and bite people.
• County Councillor Wu Wei-da said that after the matter was reported to the city office, the official handling it replied that "weeding is not allowed during Ghost Month."
• Civil Affairs Section Chief Huang Ching-yi clarified that the official had only said this was "what he had heard," and was not refusing the request; a contractor has been arranged to carry out the weeding on the 26th.
• Most internet users were unconvinced, criticising the reason as too superstitious, while some joked that the lawnmower was afraid of ghosts.
• Others pointed out that in folk custom, weeding during Ghost Month is in fact permitted; tradition merely advises against doing it at night.

Outlook: The weeding work is expected to be carried out immediately, but the tendency of frontline staff to fob off requests by citing folk custom is likely to face continued scrutiny.