Like Tree202Likes

Hong Kong is not fast-paced in any recognizable sense AFAICT, so why does everyone say that it is?

Closed Thread
Page 1 of 21 1 2 3 4 9 ... LastLast
  1. #1

    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Posts
    1,369

    Hong Kong is not fast-paced in any recognizable sense AFAICT, so why does everyone say that it is?

    People walk slowly, people work slowly, they even exercise slowly.

    Other than the dash between MTR trains, or lunging a meter or so to beat my wife and I into a taxi queue or a supermarket checkout line, I don't see anyone doing anything quickly, so why does everyone say that HK is a "fast-paced" city?

    Are they comparing it to Macao or the Mainland or other developing-world cities?


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    6,076

    I absolutely agree with you on this.

    I walk in the road, I have no time for the people ambling from side to side on the pavement.

    dear giant, kpelszyn and M Khan like this.

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    6,317

    I understand what you are saying.

    But I also understand why people say it is a fast paced city. The fact is that locals work 6 days and maybe 12 hour days, then add transportation (1-2 hours), so they have no time for anything. Are they actually working? No, they are often thinking about excuses to call sick, look busy at work, or on Facebook. Then, on your off day, you need to spend it with family. So, it "feels fast" because you have no time to yourself or to do anything.

    Besides that, I have no other conclusion.

    dear giant likes this.

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Tuen Mun
    Posts
    6,191

    It's not even fast paced in business which is, (I think?),probably what they mean rather than how fast people walk! I have been shocked time and time again how slowly the wheels of business turn compared to Europe.....everything here takes an excruciatingly long time to pull together.

    What's with HSBC ATMs taking nearly a minute just to spit your card out? That drives me freaking nuts.

    dear giant, cs0815, bak875 and 1 others like this.

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Posts
    2,711

    there was once a study comparing major global cities and how people use escalators. hong kong topped the charts for most people walking up an escalator as opposed ti just stand there -> so that's "fast paced"

    dear giant and TheBrit like this.

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    HK
    Posts
    150

    On the other hand, there are a lot of social activities and nobody can ever make it to all of them. I often feel rushed here although everybody else is walking slow.

    dear giant likes this.

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Posts
    1,369
    Quote Originally Posted by cookie09:
    there was once a study comparing major global cities and how people use escalators. hong kong topped the charts for most people walking up an escalator as opposed ti just stand there -> so that's "fast paced"
    I believe that study. I think it may be because the escalators move so darn slowly that even slow-moving people can't stand it and shamble up the steps.

    The problem comes when you want to walk up an escalator and there's someone ahead of you walking up every so slowly.

    The people movers in the Central MTR station are a horizontal example of this. Theoretically, briskly walking down them would allow you to cover some distance much faster than you would on foot. Half of the width is blocked by stationary people and (it sometimes seems) all of their worldly possessions crammed into wheeled suitcases. The other half is occupied by people walking forward so slowly that they might as well be traveling backwards in time.
    M Khan likes this.

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Kent, England
    Posts
    6,728

    They walk faster here than they do in Japan!


  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by cookie09:
    there was once a study comparing major global cities and how people use escalators. hong kong topped the charts for most people walking up an escalator as opposed ti just stand there -> so that's "fast paced"
    But when thet stand, they look at their phones. That's 'fast'.
    dear giant likes this.

  10. #10

    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Posts
    506
    Quote Originally Posted by cookie09:
    there was once a study comparing major global cities and how people use escalators. hong kong topped the charts for most people walking up an escalator as opposed ti just stand there -> so that's "fast paced"
    Really? Why is there always some idiot standing in my way when I want to walk down the escalator?!!

    I don't think it is particularly fast paced here. I agree, the only time I see speed is from queue jumpers or people trying to get past me, to steal the seat from under me on the train.

    What is increasingly fast paced, is my elbow, finely tuned after two years of trying to maintain my place in the queue!
    dear giant, climber07 and carang like this.

Closed Thread
Page 1 of 21 1 2 3 4 9 ... LastLast