Ordinary Gweilo

I enjoyed this letter in Saturday’s SCMP:

If Colin Campbell finds it impractical to walk "halfway up The Peak", perhaps he and his rich neighbours could do their bit to save us all from an early grave by investing in a sedan chair and a couple of coolies. This would also leave their hands free for the sipping of champagne, smoking of cigars and spooning in of caviar. Alternatively, give the escalator a go. Perhaps your maids could collect you higher up and wheel you home.
ROBERT VERBURG, Central

Indeed.  Using a car in Hong Kong is a matter of choice – there are very few journeys that are impractical by public transport, and Mid-Levels to Central cannot possibly be one of them.  In fact, many journeys are more convenient by taxi than private car, and given that all taxis run on LPG that must also be be a more environmentally friendly solution.  Probably cheaper as well, because running a car is an expensive thing to do in Hong Kong.

Mind you, Colin Campbell tried to argue that using his car for this short journey "results in significantly less pollution than using a taxi":

Typically, of a morning, a taxi comes up to Mid-Levels empty and of an evening goes down to Central empty. It makes four trips to carry me. My car makes only two trips and remains in a garage while the taxi is cruising looking for other fares.

This is obviously nonsense – using a car for a short journey is surely the best way to waste fuel, and what’s the betting that Colin Campbell has a gas-guzzling automobile?