Pakablog!

In another example of excellence by the Beijing Municipal Government, or more specifically those guys who run the subway, I have for many months chuckled at myself for seemingly being the only person aware of the existence of a lift at Dongzhimen station (东直门机场快线站).

Let’s start with this map. Never mind that nobody looks at it – but if you do, your eyes will be drawn to the red path that leads you up a staircase. That’s right: it never occurred to officials that passengers traveling to/from an airport would have bags with them; how dare they travel will luggage. To be fair the map does label the elevator, but I must say I only just noticed this myself – not when in the station. Ones eyes are still drawn to the red lines.

The bottom line is, passengers are not led to nor encouraged to use the elevator. They make no effort to advertise it as a convenience tool for those with luggage. The station is like this: get out the train (B4 level) and head for the escalator. You would not likely see the lift at the very end of the platform. Now at B2 level (B3 is closed access), you must exit the ticket barriers and enter the station concourse. Or so you think: I have stood time and time again watching; every time all passengers would do the 180° turn and head straight for the barriers. And of course once a few people do it, everyone else will follow. Those with heavy suitcases will at that point realise they are screwed, since only a single staircase is now available to B1 level. Even if they spot the elevator at this point, it would mean another ¥25RMB to enter the ticket barriers again.

The point where I stand watching all this – by the elevator. You see, if you look at that map, coming up from the platform, the lift is right in front of you. The problem is it’s before the ticket barrier. At that point people’s instincts are merely to get out of the paid area – it’s afterwards that we relax, look at maps, plot our next moves etc. For those who bother to look at the elevator however (I counted none), there is further confusion.

Consider this label stuck beside the lifts: it shows you on B2, and the platform on B4. Where is B1? Indeed, if you went from this, you would think it doesn’t go any higher. But it does.

Fact is, you must take this lift to B1, then exit the ticket barrier. A final escalator leg is still necessary at that point, but at least you’ve avoided the stairs.

Why is it so difficult to understand that passengers arriving from China’s busiest airport will likely have luggage, and that it is not acceptable to channel everyone through a staircase? Why has nobody noticed the elevator goes unused whilst people struggle to haul their 20kg bags against gravity? Public health campaign perhaps? I think not. Why indeed… but this is just one in a million examples of how people don’t think, don’t speak up, and the resulting lack of attention to detail that riddles so many things in this country: however nice they may look from the outside.

Tags: Airport Express, railway, Subway, Underground
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