MTR queue during rush hours

[Cho-man]

Ferries all well and good until black rain and typhoon season

That's the thing with living on Lamma, Cheung Chau or any other outlying islands. Ferry service are generally on-time and reliable, except when the weather goes real bad.

(Note to OP: Ferry service shuts down when typhoon signal 8 (T8 for short) or black rain warning is issued.)

With typhoons, the Hong Kong Observatory usually give advance warning on their website of an impending T8, and also on radio and tv, so the chance of being caught unaware and being stuck on HK Island or Kowloon is rare nowadays. Still, I guess that is a hassle if you want to get home at a certain time, as it of course disrupts your schedule.

However, with black rain warning, that could be a bit more tricky. Such warnings is harder to give in advance because its much harder to predict the exact threshold of rainfall amount that would trigger a back rainstorm warning. Usually the best the HKO can do is forecast heavy rains, which may or may not warrant a warning, depending on the amount. Often the back rain warning is issued suddenly, so you'll be stuck where you are when the warning is on. Although unlike T8, black rain warning usually (but not always) is shorter, so the disruption duration is normally less than T8.

[emilyxyz]

Get into something on your phone. I play games or surf geo. But you can also try learning a language, reading a book. Anything engrossing. That way spending time on trains or buses passes really fast. Not suggestions for the interchanges - I put my phone away and focus on moving fast. I wish few more people would!

I will have motion sickness but I do listen to music (helps too).
I do focus on moving fast too, usually crowd is considerate and stand aside (left) while the fast "lane" is fast enof. Just the once a month LRT breakdown really irritates me. XD

Out of topic: I want to learn Deutsche! XD

[emilyxyz]

That's the thing with living on Lamma, Cheung Chau or any other outlying islands. Ferry service are generally on-time and reliable, except when the weather goes real bad.

(Note to OP: Ferry service shuts down when typhoon signal 8 (T8 for short) or black rain warning is issued.)

With typhoons, the Hong Kong Observatory usually give advance warning on their website of an impending T8, and also on radio and tv, so the chance of being caught unaware and being stuck on HK Island or Kowloon is rare nowadays. Still, I guess that is a hassle if you want to get home at a certain time, as it of course disrupts your schedule.

However, with black rain warning, that could be a bit more tricky. Such warnings is harder to give in advance because its much harder to predict the exact threshold of rainfall amount that would trigger a back rainstorm warning. Usually the best the HKO can do is forecast heavy rains, which may or may not warrant a warning, depending on the amount. Often the back rain warning is issued suddenly, so you'll be stuck where you are when the warning is on. Although unlike T8, black rain warning usually (but not always) is shorter, so the disruption duration is normally less than T8.

:what:*googling black rain*

[Cho-man]

:what:*googling black rain*

I'll save you the time:

RAINSTORM WARNING SYSTEM

[jimbo]

:what:*googling black rain*

RAINSTORM WARNING SYSTEM

[Bob Loblaw]

a black rain warning is a black-coded warning, of regular-colored rain. just, a lot of it.

[Bob Loblaw]

incidentally, re. buses v. trains. just about every train station has rest rooms, should you be needing to make a stop mid-trip.
buses, not so much. they require more, uhm, advanced planning.

[imparanoic]

incidentally, re. buses v. trains. just about every train station has rest rooms, should you be needing to make a stop mid-trip.
buses, not so much. they require more, uhm, advanced planning.

buses vs trains

chances of train delays - minimal chance, probably twice a year on average per each line

chances of bus delays - highly likely chance, often, some routes have congestion issues on daily basis, cross harbor tunnels, less extent east tunnel, west tunnel very rare, etc

chances of getting caught in the rain with no room in the shelter - bus, can be a common issue

no applicable on train

also I have the nice pleasure of waiting 45 min for (usually 4 per hour) for a NT bus ( never again) during 7pm, but that's nothing compared to daytime sunday bus in uk ( when I was in my teens) at 1.45mins

at the end of the day, IMO, bus are flaky, minibus are ok, trains are tops!

[HK_Katherine]

buses vs trains

chances of train delays - minimal chance, probably twice a year on average per each line

chances of bus delays - highly likely chance, often, some routes have congestion issues on daily basis, cross harbor tunnels, less extent east tunnel, west tunnel very rare, etc

chances of getting caught in the rain with no room in the shelter - bus, can be a common issue

no applicable on train

also I have the nice pleasure of waiting 45 min for (usually 4 per hour) for a NT bus ( never again) during 7pm, but that's nothing compared to daytime sunday bus in uk ( when I was in my teens) at 1.45mins

at the end of the day, IMO, bus are flaky, minibus are ok, trains are tops!

That's not a very fair comparison.

I could add...
"chance of getting a seat on a bus" - from certain (minibuses/resident buses) to very high (double decker and you get on before half-way) to low (avoid these routes)
vs... MTR - zero (most routes, most of the time, particularly if you are polite and give the only available seat to the old person/pregnant woman etc) to possible (off peak and you get on at the first station) to certain (first station with much use of elbows and zero regard for any people who need the seat more than you).

There are certainly bus routes to avoid. But blanket statements are unhelpful. Specific route recommendations much more useful.

[emilyxyz]

That's not a very fair comparison.

I could add...
"chance of getting a seat on a bus" - from certain (minibuses/resident buses) to very high (double decker and you get on before half-way) to low (avoid these routes)
vs... MTR - zero (most routes, most of the time, particularly if you are polite and give the only available seat to the old person/pregnant woman etc) to possible (off peak and you get on at the first station) to certain (first station with much use of elbows and zero regard for any people who need the seat more than you).

There are certainly bus routes to avoid. But blanket statements are unhelpful. Specific route recommendations much more useful.

offpeak hour (evening) starts around? 6.30? 7?