Oh, Shenzhen. Thou art a beautiful city — a beautiful city indeed! And with this beauty comes a series of adventures awaiting those who dare to embark on them. One such adventure is the transportation system.
As an aspiring Civil Engineer, I go gaga over organised public transportation, and its effect on city planning. I came here with preconceived ideas of how the metro would work, scanning my card and waltzing to the train with a smile of contentment. However, that isn’t quite the vibe here. There is so much to write about from the one week I’ve spent here so far, but seeing as transportation is a daily experience, (and a very interesting one at that), I just have to divulge my experiences.
“Welcome to the Shenzhen Metro,” you hear once you’re inside. But, what should you bear in mind once you’re there?
The first thing to remember is, no matter who you are, how much you contribute to society, how much money you make, or how pretty you are…the metro doors WILL close on you. One of the interns wasn’t quite fast enough and her bag was left behind. Lucky for her, the rest of us were left behind, too, and were able to retrieve the bag.
To get to your destination, one often has to switch between different metro lines. This is where the fun really begins. At one particular station, basically everyone switches from Line 3 to Line 1. I am one of those people. The first few days, I was shy to run. I quickly learned that there was no time for shyness, and I swiftly accepted my professional status in running for the metro. Try it—it’s fun.
Whilst on the Shenzhen Metro, I was frequently amazed to witness a human quality that we all need a little more of: confidence. There’s always one commuter who cannot be tamed, standing smack in the middle of the two lines, walking past the long line of us boring rule-followers, and standing fearlessly before the glass doors.
I hope this gives you a glance into the Shenzhen Metro life. It’s been an awesome adventure so far, and I look forward to the weeks to come!
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