Octopus Card & the MTR

Litter, discarded newspapers, soft drink bottles rolling on the floor...that's the MTA in NYC, not the MTR in HK - and what a world of difference!

A majority of Mass Transit Railway stations exit through shopping areas, but not all. Anyhow, it's very easy to to find MTR stations, just look for the symbol on above.

To ride the MTR, you purchase an Octopus card - a card so versatile that you can also use it at any 7-11, with no restrictions on your purchases. You can even dip below your balance by HK$50. (The intial payment includes a $50 deposit for the card.)

Unlike NYC's flat fee system, HK's subway exacts a fee based on the length of your trip; so riders just swipe their cards upon entering and exiting the MTR station & the appropriate fee is automatically deducted. Simple, logical & equitable, no? (Check fares and maps.)

One of the most surprising & pleasant parts of the MTR are the riders. Allow me explain: most of the train stations are always crowded, and not just during rush hour. How do so many people manage to get where they need to go? They follow foot-traffic patterns! In a large tunnel down to the subway platform, everyone walks to the right - those who enter and those who exit. On escalators, those who want to ride the escalator stay to the right, while walkers pass riders on their right. Voila! No one impedes or blocks another's way, and everyone gets where they need to go at the speed they want to get there! Okay, back to the train system...

So once you're on the platform, you'll see glass partitions keeping riders away from oncoming trains - Safety First! Advertisements on the opposite wall are visible through the glass as you wait for the train. Most remarkable thing is, even during rush hour, you'll see rows of people lined up on the platform in front of sliding glass doors at the spots marked "entrance." And trains arrive on schedule to the minute, as confirmed by digital counters on the platform that notify riders of a train's impending arrival.

The ride is smooth and quick, and there's ample room: everyone stands, and even the "joints," or spaces between train cars, are open. In short, the train cars are connected to allow riders movement between cars without having to open doors in between - how space-efficient! During rush hour, there are even guides on the platform to help people onto the train & to stop riders from boarding when a train gets too crowded.

In the train cars, overhead route maps are extremely user-friendly - lights indicate the train's location as well as providing guidance to riders in both English and Chinese.

Overall, I found the MTR to be a taste of the efficiency and ease of use that mass transit could be. Loved it!