Big up the tube drinkers

[Agent Sparrow]

Good question.

I think it's about 50% more than the Shenzhen underground (which I was also very impressed with,) but it's still dirt cheap when compared to London. The cheapest fare is about 40p, it costs about 60p to travel, say, 8 - 10 stations and the highest fare is about GBP 1:80p which gets you across the region.




Woof

Reading that amazes me how we decided that the HK underground system was too expensive when I was there. Mind you, my friends and I were sticking to a £10 a day budget at the time, and accommodation in HK was relatively expensive to the other places we had been.

Ah, Chungking Mansions - the memories.

 

[greedy banker]

I was a great fan of Chungking Mansions when I worked in Hong Kong, hash even cheaper and more chilled out than the MTR

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

It still is amazing to me that people can drink alcohol on public transportation there, and it amazes anyone I tell it to.

Not in Newcastle. There are signs everywhere.

And I think it's banned in public, at least on the main streets, as I never see anyone clutching a can of beer like I see in London.

 

[DotCommunist]

It's banned on Northampton busses, but you can quietly flout it

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

Good question.

I think it's about 50% more than the Shenzhen underground (which I was also very impressed with,) but it's still dirt cheap when compared to London. The cheapest fare is about 40p, it costs about 60p to travel, say, 8 - 10 stations and the highest fare is about GBP 1:80p which gets you across the region.

That's very cheap by Western standards, yes.

In Dalian, though, you can travel from Dalian centre to Jinshitan on the very clean, very good light railway, for 8 RMB.

(That's about 50km)

 

[scifisam]

I think my comments on this thread amount to a colossal case of sour grapes.

I'd love nothing more than to finish a meeting, get on the Skytrain, pull a brewski out of my briefcase, shotgun that first beer, pull out another, and be totally shitfaced, tie askew, when I finished the 45 minute ride back downtown.

Blimey, you're a lightweight! Totally shitfaced on two bottles of beer!

 

[DotCommunist]

The real issue with drinking on public transport is the lack of toilet facilities on the X4 from kettering to northampton. It's a forty minute ride and a three can build-up can cause acute discomfort. to me.

 

[Jessiedog]

That's very cheap by Western standards, yes.

In Dalian, though, you can travel from Dalian centre to Jinshitan on the very clean, very good light railway, for 8 RMB.

(That's about 50km)

Yer.


Fifty clicks on the MTR would definately be the top whack, I think about HK$ 12:50c.

But that's about the limit you could travel on the MTR, Hong Kong is a widely dispersed region and is better served by bus.

Interestingly (or not), from my home (in the north-east New Territories,) it costs about GBP3:20p to get to and back from (return cost) the CBD - using mostly the MTR - and yet closer to GBP3:80p, return, on the bus. When I used to commute, I preferred the bus unless I was late, since it goes straight throught the mountain tunnel and harbour tunnel and I can read on the way there and back - he "tube" route involves a short bus-hop to the tube and then four changes, walking, escalators, crowding, etc.


If I was late, I'd take the minibus to the MTR and then do all the walking, changing, standing, etc. It took about 55 minutes door-to-door to get to work. The bus route takes about 1 hour 10 minutes.


Given that I live 1 minute walk from the bus stop *** and the buses (both mini and double decker run every 4 - 10 minutes and the trains run every 1 1/2 minutes (yup one and a half,) and the system, in total, is clean, efficient, convenient, safe, cheap, etc. etc., it's unsurprising that less than 5% here own private cars (and 50% live in social housing too, BTW).



And remember, we're talking about a 30km journey each way here.


In a society (similar in size and affluence to London I guess,) it makes sense to invest in public transport. What %age of Londoners own cars?


No smoking, no eating, no drinking.







*** Oh and I live here by the way and can still enjoy the public transport system that will convey me to the city within in an hour.

Woof

 

[Mitre10]

Was on the bus yesterday and someone cracked open a can of Budweiser and took a swig.

The driver then spoke over an intercom (didn't know buses had those!!) and said "to the man sitting near the exit doors, if I can't see that can of lager you're drinking, I can't ask you to get off the bus can I?".

Bloke sheepishly hid it under his arm


Should have thrown him off for having the poor taste to drink Budweiser imho.

.

 

[Mitre10]

Was on the bus yesterday and someone cracked open a can of Budweiser and took a swig.

The driver then spoke over an intercom (didn't know buses had those!!) and said "to the man sitting near the exit doors, if I can't see that can of lager you're drinking, I can't ask you to get off the bus can I?".

Bloke sheepishly hid it under his arm


Should have thrown him off for having the poor taste to drink Budweiser imho.


Didn't realise the ban was for buses too.
.

 

[Crispy]

All TFL public transport.

 

[George & Bill]

Yer.


Fifty clicks on the MTR would definately be the top whack, I think about HK$ 12:50c.

But that's about the limit you could travel on the MTR, Hong Kong is a widely dispersed region and is better served by bus.

Interestingly (or not), from my home (in the north-east New Territories,) it costs about GBP3:20p to get to and back from (return cost) the CBD - using mostly the MTR - and yet closer to GBP3:80p, return, on the bus. When I used to commute, I preferred the bus unless I was late, since it goes straight throught the mountain tunnel and harbour tunnel and I can read on the way there and back - he "tube" route involves a short bus-hop to the tube and then four changes, walking, escalators, crowding, etc.


If I was late, I'd take the minibus to the MTR and then do all the walking, changing, standing, etc. It took about 55 minutes door-to-door to get to work. The bus route takes about 1 hour 10 minutes.


Given that I live 1 minute walk from the bus stop *** and the buses (both mini and double decker run every 4 - 10 minutes and the trains run every 1 1/2 minutes (yup one and a half,) and the system, in total, is clean, efficient, convenient, safe, cheap, etc. etc., it's unsurprising that less than 5% here own private cars (and 50% live in social housing too, BTW).



And remember, we're talking about a 30km journey each way here.


In a society (similar in size and affluence to London I guess,) it makes sense to invest in public transport. What %age of Londoners own cars?


No smoking, no eating, no drinking.







*** Oh and I live here by the way and can still enjoy the public transport system that will convey me to the city within in an hour.

Woof

This may come as shocking news to you, but most people here have realised that you really like Hong Kong, and support eating and drinking bans on public transport.

 

[Jessiedog]

This may come as shocking news to you, but most people here have realised that you really like Hong Kong, and support eating and drinking bans on public transport.

You mean there're some that don't?

I can feel an MTR picture a' comin' on.



Woof

 

[George & Bill]

You mean there're some that don't?

On reflection, no, I don't think there's anyone who hasn't figured it out yet.

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

The driver then spoke over an intercom (didn't know buses had those!!) and said "to the man sitting near the exit doors, if I can't see that can of lager you're drinking, I can't ask you to get off the bus can I?".

That reminds me of the time when I was in stratford station, and the announcer said something like, "May I remind all members of the public that this is a no-smoking station. Therefore, if you are smoking a cigarette (or any other substance) please put it out!"

 

[Jessiedog]

On reflection, no, I don't think there's anyone who hasn't figured it out yet.

Ahhhh.


OK!





Just in case though.....

Woof

 

[George & Bill]

Bit weedy compared to the LU isn't it!

 

[greedy banker]

On the contrary, over there they're proper big fuck off trains (like our subsurface lines) rather than the shitty things in the tube. Also have airconditioning.

 

[Jessiedog]

Bit weedy compared to the LU isn't it!

'Pends which metrics you use to measure it. Trains every 90 seconds is a good one. Fares can also be compared. Cleanliness. Safety. Efficiency. Politeness.

And as I mentioned earlier, the ubiquitous bus and minibus system picks up any slack. In the jungle, here, I rarely wait more than five minutes, never ten. And in the city during the rush hour, it's never more than a five minute wait for the vast, vast majority of routes.


The three "no's" are a part of the reason the system works. And, as I've mentioned, (other than smoking,) the rules are enforced in an appropriately flexible manner, essentially by the system users themselves - no cops required.


If your "weedy" comparison is merely refering to the number of stations, then yes, London approaches 300, I understand, while HK struggles towards 100, but with plans for expansion.

If only "size" was everything, eh?



Woof

 

[greedy banker]

Also Jd, don't forget the escalators. Once you've experienced escalators running at a proper speed like they do over there you'll hate British ones.

 

[ExtraRefined]

No discussion of the best things to drink on the tube then?

Top tip: The premixed cans of pimms and lemonade look like an energy drink to anyone that isn't used to them, so you can wander around drinking in front of staff as much as you like. And they sell them in liverpool street tube station.

~Central line user

I just carry around a flask of single malt

 

[Jessiedog]

Also Jd, don't forget the escalators. Once you've experienced escalators running at a proper speed like they do over there you'll hate British ones.

Yer.

But after a twenty five year media-blitz campaign to get peeps to "stand on the right and hold the handrail tight", so that peeps can walk up/scoot down on the left, we recently seem to have given up and moved to a campaign of "stand firm and hold the handrails".

The consistent mainland-immigration also helped to scupper the generational campaign - if 70% of peeps want to hang out on escalators and new immigrants add to this consensus........


I guess that's "democracy".


I think it's sad.



I think that we were beginning to win the right (and the expectation that peeps will,) walk on the escalators. But it would seem that the fear of litigation has, I'm ashamed to say, outweighed the common sense approach. We were on the verge of a massive change in social conventions - walking on the left of the escalators being the norm and standing on the right.

Alas, the MTR Corp succumed to potential profit-loss.








From now on we are destined to be chastised for trying to walk down/up an escalator and will be condemned to endure the idle gossip of the masses as they clog the works. As you might coin it, gb.


Such is life.

At least the trains come every 90 seconds or so.


And at least the "stand on the right" convention still prevails on the "mid-levels escalator".





Woof

 

[George & Bill]

'Pends which metrics you use to measure it. Trains every 90 seconds is a good one. Fares can also be compared. Cleanliness. Safety. Efficiency. Politeness.

And as I mentioned earlier, the ubiquitous bus and minibus system picks up any slack. In the jungle, here, I rarely wait more than five minutes, never ten. And in the city during the rush hour, it's never more than a five minute wait for the vast, vast majority of routes.


The three "no's" are a part of the reason the system works. And, as I've mentioned, (other than smoking,) the rules are enforced in an appropriately flexible manner, essentially by the system users themselves - no cops required.


If your "weedy" comparison is merely refering to the number of stations, then yes, London approaches 300, I understand, while HK struggles towards 100, but with plans for expansion.

If only "size" was everything, eh?



Woof

Cool, hopefully it will still be just as good when it expands to be a full-sized system like the tube

 

[greedy banker]

The tube isn't full sized, look south of the thames.

Not that there's any reason to go there