There is no escape once stepping into an MTR station -
"When using the escalator, hold the handrail, stand firm, and don't walk."
(But everyone walks down the escalator during rush hours! Also, there are signs asking people to stand on the right to let the others walk on the left.)
Immediately followed by:
"Please use the lift if you are carrying baggage."
And without a pause, the jabbering continues to say:
"Eating or drinking is not allowed on trains or in the paid areas of stations."
And one or more of the above will be repeated non-stop in Cantonese, Mandarin and English as one journeys down to the platform, leaving no space for any peace or quiet.
It does not get better on the platform. "The train for Sheung Wan is arriving. Please let passengers exit first." (The train arrives; people crowd in and passengers cannot exit.) "Please stand back from the doors." "Please do not block the train doors when they are closing." and so on and so forth.
It was the last straw when they tried to spice things up - a simple message to hold the handrail on the escalator became "Be my friend and hold me tight.". Who is my friend?! Whom am I supposed to hold tight on my way to work on a Monday morning?! It did not come across clearly at all that passengers were meant to "befriend" the handrail by holding it tight. It is a relief that they seem to have stopped using this version of the announcement now.
The announcements become pointless as they are generally ignored. They certainly do not stop people from running down escalators, blocking train doors or eating and drinking on trains. On the other hand, their unnatural tones and repetition like nagging parents may actually defy disobedience. If I were a tourist in Hong Kong, I would question the sophistication of the city - do the people here really need such non-stop reminders for simple things like holding the handrail? A sign will do. In fact, I do not remember the undergrounds of other cities having similar repetitive announcements.
It's time to stop and let passengers have some peace!
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5 comments:
I totally agree with you!!!!!!
absolutely!!!!!!!!
on the London Tube, the platform assistants talk about letting the people off before you get on. People generally do, though I dunno if its due to the announcement or acquired habit. Or maybe cos the Tube doors don't open as wide as MTR doors.
As for the disturbance of peace, I'm not sure which is worse, when the announcements are made at TKO station, which is very quiet outside rush hours and so the only thing you hear while you wait is the faux soothing announcement. Or in Admiralty/MK when the station is always so noisy with chatter anyway that the PA just adds to the din.
In fact, when waiting for a train at a quiet station at a quiet hour, all you hear are the repetitive announcements for 5 minutes and the clicking of the escalator for the blind. A little surreal. A little Orwellian.
Perhaps you can do a survey on the platform sometime with the question "Did you take note of the PA today and consciously decide to hold the handrail, or let people off first?"
i have gotten so used to it that i have turned myself off to these announcements. gosh, i didn't realize there are so many versions!!!
i hate it when i get to central station, when people trying to get onto the train started pushing me. this is just annoying and i have actually yelled at those people before, but the sad things was - they didn't even they were doing anything improper!!!!
I guess I have been used to these non-stop announcements already, and I ignore them naturally. Besides the announcements, the advertisements and the news board also keep one busy on the MTR train. Perhaps it fits the life style of HK people?
The non-stop announcements are really useless, besides keeping your ears busy.
On a side note, our eyes are kept busy too by those advertisements and the news display board...
Perhaps it suits the life style of HK people?
~ Jenny
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