All aboard to learn proper subway etiquette

By Hannah Leung Source:Global Times Published: 2012-7-11 19:40:03

Patience and self-control are often stretched to the limit during rush hour when tackling Beijing's subway, an underground tunnel of doom. When push comes to shove, elbowing your way through crowds of commuters is what usually ends up happening.

The latest statistics from subway operator MTR Corporation reveal 55 percent of accidents are caused by the general neglect by commuters of common safety precautions. This prompted a group of primary school students to assemble at the platform of Beijing South Railway Station on Monday holding safety signs.

The signs hoisted by the young volunteers listed basic rules for public transportation etiquette: queue up, get on and off the train orderly, be aware of the gap, don't lean against the train doors and don't force the doors open. It's appropriate that primary students were extolling this advice. After all, these are pretty elementary principles to follow.

Here's a list of obvious things I would add to their suggestions: don't hog seats by placing your shopping bags next to you (the seat isn't much cleaner than the floor, let's be honest); give up your seat for the elderly or pregnant instead of avoiding eye contact; don't let your food splatter on the person next to you; don't let your children treat the subway as their personal playground; don't pick your nose or trim your fingernails; and always remember that the poles are communal and should only be gripped by the hand, not the entire body.

Like everyone who has ridden the subway, I've seen some nasty things fly, literally. Nail clippings once landed into my lap from the passenger sitting across me who was administrating a personal manicure.

I also often sit next to the "persistent nose picker," the person who dutifully examines his collection of nose gold in prolonged curiosity, wipes the nuggets on the seat, and then dives in for more. 

For safety's sake, I'm glad the kids chose Line 4 to make their case. As frequenters of the subway might know, Line 4 is perhaps the most enjoyable ride. This could be because it's partly managed by Hong Kong's MTR Corporation. Had these devoted young citizens gone on Line 1 or ventured near the CBD area, they might have been trampled.

But honorable as their intentions were, pictures online of the cute kids clad in yellow uniforms seemed to reveal most people were just gawking at the parade of students rather than actually reading the signs, thereby probably worsening congestion.

There are other cities just as densely populated as Beijing with equally burdened public transportation. But Tokyo's subway system, the most extensive in the world, is also the most efficient, timely and considerate, complete with women-only carriages. Seoul's subway, which boasts 16 lines, is also more pleasant than pushy.

Surely, with more effort and time, this can be replicated in China's major cities as well. On a wager, I'd wait until these rule-abiding youngsters grow up.



Posted in: Twocents-Opinion

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