Ordinary Gweilo

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Things I don’t understand (2)

Jan 5, 2006

Put a Hong Kong person near a lift, and they will jab compulsively at the buttons.

Outside the lift they will press the button to go up or down (probably both), even if someone has already pressed it. They even press the button when the light goes out because the lift door are about to open, because, well, you never can be too careful, right?

Once they get inside the lift they will push the button to close the doors the very second the last person leaves the lift.

Yet, put the same people at a pedestrian crossing controlled by traffic lights, and they will stand there like zombies waiting for the lights to change. What’s the difference?

Posted in Rants, Things I don’t quite understand

8 responses to “Things I don’t understand (2)”

Mia

Jan 5, 2006

Ditto!

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ken

Jan 6, 2006

If you have ever been in a queue in one of those places which is less (or rarely) frequented by “Gweilos”, you may often find a body pressed against your back (or a cart pressed against your lower legs from behind if its’ a supermarket) as if they want to push you out of the way. Whoever does this to you knows only too well that by doing this he or she wouldn’t wait a second less in the queue. Yet they just do it. Does that help to solve the ‘lift puzzle’?

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Doctor Luvva

Jan 7, 2006

Dr Adams, the man you love to hate, identified this phenomenon far back in 1992 in his book GAMES HONG KONG PEOPLE PLAY. Why do bloggers never read such instructive material? The tome is now online and free at ntscmp.com

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J

Jan 8, 2006

do they wait for the lights to change? in my experience, they just run across anyway…

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puja

Jan 9, 2006

I dont know about that, where I live, people always keep a fairly good watch on the little button by the street crossing that’s supposed to alert the traffic lights that there are pedestrians waiting.

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Paul

Jan 9, 2006

I love watching this and I’ve started jabbing the buttons in the lift as many times as I can. I also try and close the doors on people getting into the lift. Then stare blankly into space, HK style.

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fumier

Jan 10, 2006

On some lifts, if you press the (heat sensitive) floor button, and hold a fraction longer than normal, while other peeps are pressing for their floors, then the other choices do not register. It’s a wonderful start to the day to see someone miss their floor.

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Javier

Jan 16, 2006

You haven`t met many spaniards…did you? 😉
Best regards from
http://niquel757.blogspot.com
Congratulations for you funny blog!!

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