[Sophienaz]

Oh my god. Why is it that I have such a bad time on the MTR in this city?

I am a mum of two, and I always travel on the MTR with my baby in my sling. No one ever offers me a seat, which is disgusting, unless they are a domestic helpers, already with a child in their lap. I refuse coz its not fair on them. I look around at men, they have eye contact with me, and fully acknowledge that I am knackered, sweaty, pissed off, etc, and they look back down on the floor. This is just shocking. I don't get it.

My all time favorite moment is exiting the damned train. This is just when I feel I should have never moved here and wish to god I lived back in the UK. Basically, despite the green arrows and announcements clearly explaining that passengers should alight the train first, no one ever gives me way and in fact people stampede into me and knock my baby around and make him cry, which oh my god, makes my blood boil. No one messes with my boy.

So the other day I was preparing for the train-exiting-stampede moment. The doors opened, the stampede began, my baby began to cry, and I had had enough-I put out my elbows and started my own little stampede. I knocked over 2 grown women and a teenage boy and shouted expletives at them as I went past. Given that I am tall, fat and quite angry, I knocked the wind out of them.

I used to be really polite and nice and gentle when I lived in the UK.

This city has turned me into a rude, sweaty, angry, aggressive nasty b*tch.

Am I alone here or has anyone else turned unpleasant since moving here?

Sophie

[DanielandHayley]

your certainly not alone - i've been here two years and consider the mtr (and to some extent busses) to be the biggest factor in increasing my stress levels. I was back in the UK for around 10days last month and the freedom of driving (I can't afford a car here) was wonderful! I hate the mtr with a passion - well the mtr itself is wonderful, it's just the people on it - so much so that whilst waiting for it yesterday I said to my girl friend that when we leave hk our first purchase will be a car and i never plan on taking public transport again!

[Shanghai38]

Bravo in knocking them down! I too loathe the masses who huddle around the door, waiting to get on, and my preferred method of exiting is to brace myself for the bumping, say "I'm sorry!" "I'm alighting the train!" in Chinese, and being a nuisance for trying to exit the train without killing myself. Not so certain that I'd do the same, though, had I a young child....

I understand that this makes me annoying, but if people in Shanghai, a notoriously rude city, can board and alight the train without such fuss, then so should those in Hong Kong, who like to think themselves above their Mainland brethren.

[shilo507]

Well, I am bit surprised at these comments. As a Londoner I have always hated travelling on the Tube (did it 5 days a week). At least the MTR is spacious and air-conditioned and you are not in fear of being mugged. I always find London's tube trains very claustrophobic after the MTR trains.

I know HK's MTRs are noisy because of people talking on mobile phones (another plus for the HK MTR) but I actually miss the cacophony of noise when I am in London. Guess I have just been in HK too long (two years) to ever go back to UK.

IMHO, public transport in HK is a dream (especially the MTR) and must be one of the best systems in the world.

Danielandhayley and Sophienaz - are you Londoners or from elsewhere in the UK? I think most Londoners who regularly travel on the Tube network would find HK's MTR extremely civilised after the rigours of travelling on London Underground but maybe others will disagree.

[ajb]

MTR over tube any day of the week.

Having said that, my experience is based without having any children with me!

My bug bear is people walking slowly, and yes, perhaps I should just slow down.

[Claire ex-ax]

Sophie, a large rolled-up umbrella isn't just for when it rains.

[jayinhongkong]

Originally Posted by Claire ex-ax

Sophie, a large rolled-up umbrella isn't just for when it rains.

BBC NEWS | Europe | Arrests over Rome umbrella death

[DanielandHayley]

Originally Posted by shilo507

Well, I am bit surprised at these comments. As a Londoner I have always hated travelling on the Tube (did it 5 days a week). At least the MTR is spacious and air-conditioned and you are not in fear of being mugged. I always find London's tube trains very claustrophobic after the MTR trains.

I know HK's MTRs are noisy because of people talking on mobile phones (another plus for the HK MTR) but I actually miss the cacophony of noise when I am in London. Guess I have just been in HK too long (two years) to ever go back to UK.

IMHO, public transport in HK is a dream (especially the MTR) and must be one of the best systems in the world.

Danielandhayley and Sophienaz - are you Londoners or from elsewhere in the UK? I think most Londoners who regularly travel on the Tube network would find HK's MTR extremely civilised after the rigours of travelling on London Underground but maybe others will disagree.

nope not a londoner and not a fan of the tube either...as I said, the mtr and the public transport in Hong Kong is pretty much second to none in terms of efficiency, reliability, cleanliness, safety etc...but I still don't like travelling on it due to lack of personal space/being stared at/complete absence of manners/noise etc...

[Claire ex-ax]

On Saturday, we took the MTR from Hong Kong Station to Kowloon Station. Scattered on the floor were toe nails clippings. At least we didn't have to witness this common occurence, although we have in the past. Has this travel 'pastime' reached the Tube yet?

[MrMoo]

Originally Posted by Sophienaz

I don't get it.

News at 11: Subway is busy and city travel is hectic.

Go by taxi if you cannot cope. Otherwise I recommend trying to be less of a polite foreigner and start demanding a seat from the people sitting down.