I was in
So what happened?
There were lots of commuters patiently waiting for the subway to arrive. They seemed to be waiting in a line on both edges of each platform door. The situation was relatively under control, despite the rather suffocating atmosphere. Then the subway arrived. All hell broke loose. And all bets were off.
By Yang Liu
In the span of a single second...
Everyone mobbed the doors, even those lining up. There was a lot of pushing and shoving going on, in both directions. It was a battle to see who could do it better and more aggressively. Civility was non-existent. All of a sudden, lining up seemed to be a farce and a sure way of not getting onto the subway.
Why did this occur?
From what I have heard,
By Karumen0904
Don't rush, just be quick...
I believe this has more to do people’s mentality in each country and how they think. For most of them, their own time is far more important than other people’s time. Even though by queuing up, their boarding speed would be faster and smoother, they are of the opinion that as long as they manage to board the subway, other people do not matter. Why play fair when the others around them do not?
Their thinking exhibits a certain practicality more than an idealistic notion of right and wrong. What will help them get through the day is far more important than certain ideals and standards.
13 comments:
Hmm.. There's no problemo with ur entry! I like ur graphics and animation.. quite interesting. Good job! Keep it up!
Interesting observation, Kheng Aik.
Yes, obviously there is nothing "racial" about this. But it does seem to speak of behavioral norms specific to each place (and culture). A student in my Group 3 class wrote about exactly the same topic, only his experience was in Taipei. You should read that and compare.
Thanks!
Hey, I was in Shanghai and Hangzhou earlier too. I experienced this too! I almost got squeezed to death upon entering the gate.
I agree this is due to cultural differences. There are some special characteristics these China Chinese exhibit. Some of these traits are unique to them and could not be found elsewhere.
They have a very unique “shopping culture” too. You should only ask about the price of the items you are sincere in buying. Once you asked about the price, it is highly likely they are going to make you bring it back home. Such traits are not found in other Chinese majority countries too.
I think Malaysians also queue when they are boarding LRT, or at least thats what I saw.
yuklum :)
Hi Kheng Aik,
While taking the North-East Line the other day, I saw an Indian family march right up to the door as the train approached. The moment the train doors opened, they barged right through the mass of people exiting in order to get on. It got me really annoyed. However, after watching a travel documentary on India and seeing what a battle it is to just get onto the train there and then stay on it, I started to realise why the family did that.
It is true that in Hong Kong, everyone is extremely orderly when it comes to waiting to board a train. I have witnessed it and been deeply impressed. I agree it is not a racial trait, yet I cannot completely agree that is a cultural difference along the social-economic development line, though the India example seems to concur. We are looking merely at a singular aspect of culture, boarding trains. How about other aspects, such as dining etiquette? While Hong Kongers are courteous when it comes to boarding trains, the level of noise in a dim sum restaurant indicates anything but. Perhaps we are guilty of judging from our own culture as to what is acceptable and what is not. How then, can we define what is ‘good’, or ‘bad’?
This is very interesting to know Kheng Aik, as I am a frequent traveler on the MRT as well. Even in Singapore, we can observe various subcultures. With no references to any particular group, I would just like to say that some people tend to force their way through, while others politely stand to the side and wait for the alighting passengers to get out first. From an observer's point of view, everyone knows that this is inefficient. Why do people still practise it? I am thinking that in China, not everyone manages to get on the train in the end. Is this correct? This makes getting on the train a competition. That is why people have such a mentality. But, I don't think this is the case. As far as I know, Singapore's MRT system is the most cost effective transport system in the world, with the highest passenger to train volume ratio. So I guess it is just a situation of kiasuism among the Chinese in China.
@Joyce: Ahaha, thanks! :)
@Brad: Indeed. I went and checked said blog as you advised. I find it utterly fascinating that the experience was in the other end of the spectrum as compared to mine. And furthermore, both of us also used Singapore as a yardstick!
@Gwen: Oh, that is certainly thought-provoking. I was not really paying attention to the “shopping culture” there as my mother was the only one among my family to really shop “aggressively” there. I should have paid more attention to things like these. Maybe it is also due to different “culture” between both genders. :p
@Yuk Lum: You mean in KL? I have been to there only once, so I am not in a position to judge. It is good to hear that though, since from what I heard, LRT services are going to be implemented in Penang soon.
@Ben: I am glad to see another example provided, though I would contend that the scenario you provided about the level of noise in dim sum restaurants are more along the racial lines. I have yet to see a single quiet dim sum restaurant, though that might not apply to those more posh restaurants. Also, I agree with your idea of biased perception since I am a proponent of the same thing myself.
@Zhiyi: This brings up an interesting point. Try getting onto or out of a subway train in Singapore during peak hours, especially in one of those “popular stations”, and you will see what I mean. I experienced that once. I was within said train that one time with some friends and when it stopped, people started pouring into the doors in a frenzied mass. Despite my loud plea to the friend standing nearest to the door to just push his way out and damn the consequences or bruised egos, he decided to act gentlemanly and self-sacrificial. In the end, we only managed to alight off at the next station and took another train just to get back to the station we were interested in.
i went shanghai too in my last trip in May 2007.
I experienced the same thing as you in MRT and the most tedious thing was those leaflet distributors just randomly threw their card at me when i was sitting there. They did not care if i were willing to take it or not.
What i did was... i just swept the card away =p ~
i also saw certain group of people who are used to spit in public area(bus, shopping complex, road etc.)which i really could not bear it. |||=_= ~
Hey Kheng Aik,
i remember people of Taipei to be extremely civil in their behaviour in train stations. As for Hong Kong-ers they are generally as you described, but perhaps the sheer number of people contributes to the 'packed-ness' of the train doors!
Do you think this is a problem that can be remedied through training? How can Singapore become a more gracious society? Queuing to enter trains and returning trays at foodcourts! =)
hello! if i am not wrong, the culture in western countries are such that they queue up in an orderly manner while waiting for passengers to alight first. i believe culture is something that needs to be appreciated even if it seems uncomfortable at first. only then can there be inter cultural understanding. :)i believe that you've never been to china before thus the unfamiliarity.
P.s i heard that the chinese tend to spit often on the ground in public areas so you might want to keep that in mind the next time you travel there :)
Heyhey!! Actually I feel such behaviour is also quite common in Singapore. I am also guilty of it. I guess for some, it is to avoid having the train doors closed at them even before they get in whereas for others it is to snatch any of the few seats available so as to avoid standing.
Actually I've developed an idea to avoid such mobbing. For me, I used to like to stand right in front of the entrance so when the train arrived I can board immediately and dashed to any available seat. The reasons for me in doing so are to first avoid having to squeeze with other passengers when boarding the train and to hurry grab a seat so that I can rest my feet and prevent myself from standing throughout the journey.
You may see it as being 'kiasu' but I may see it as outwitting the rest! Haha... I guess maybe China people are not trained to be courteous, yet again even when Singaporeans are taught how to be courteous, such behaviour still exists locally. It may be a cultural difference and it may not. It can just be a personality trait of others and people just follow suit so as to 'outwin' the others. It is afterall the battle of the fittest! Hah.
Hi Kheng Aik,
10 comments so far should be proof enough that your post on queuing, queue-jumping, and MRTs resounds with a lot of us here. Hehe
Anyway, would just like to add that how close people in a queue stand to each other might also be another trait influenced by culture. From personal experience, most India-Indians and some China-Chinese tend to stand extremeeeeeely close to other people in a queue. Not that I am being racist, (I am just being culturally observant. Hehe) but I used to always complain that these people have no sense of personal space.
Your post shows how difficult it is to get up a train in China, and Benjamin brought up the similar difficulties faced by those in India. More importantly, you have raised the point on how queues are more of a facade than anything else in these places. Perhaps that is why the 2 groups of people I mentioned earlier take a different approach in queuing than us (or me).
Reading your post and the comments here have helped me put things in perspective. Maybe next time I should grin-and-bear if I feel that my personal space has been 'invaded'.
@Jacky: Haha. It was certainly eye-opening, no? Different places come with different cultures, races not withstanding.
@Liang Fu: I think such behaviors come with time, as Singapore develops herself further. It was partly the forefathers' fault in pushing for economics reforms first and foremost, and ignoring social-cultural ones. But I am sure Singaporeans' mindset will mature in time, considering Singapore's rather short 4 to 5 decades of independence history.
@Tim: Haha, that is true. That was the first time I went to China. I will keep in mind of the "spitting habit" the next time I am there. I seemed to have missed it somehow. :(
@Joyce: I do act in the same way at times, when I am desperate to find a seat to prevent having to stand. When I am not desperate, I prefer to watch with detached interest while the others mob the doors. :p
@Danielle: Speaking of personal space, I think it is due more to cultural constraint than anything else. How we perceive personal space is also due to whether we know the person invading said space in the first place. I think one would have less qualms if a close friend or a family member was to stand too close, while there would certainly be objections if said person was a complete stranger. It is certainly enlightening how supposedly "cultural traits" could be modified by so many non-cultural related factors.
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