At first I was skeptical about using public transportation to get everywhere, primarily because in my head, if the place I want to go is not the first stop, or if there is no direct route, it will take me longer to get there. However, I have come to enjoy the public transportation system because even though it may take longer and it may cost you money every time you switch routes, it feels like I have more free time because I do not have to focus on driving. I can be on my phone or work on homework while I wait for the transportation to get me to where I want to go, instead of paying attention to driving. That makes the extra time tacked onto my journey feel worth it.
It is very connected to the culture. Hong Kong is very efficient. Most everywhere in Hong Kong, people use a card called the Octopus card to pay for expenses. It is a contactless card that you can load money onto and use for food, shopping, public transit and more. I think because of how convenient it is to take the MTR from one location to another, using a card for all transactions has become convenient enough to implement in the city. The plentiful modes of transportation also make for less congestion on city roads, which makes the needed number of road lanes in the city decrease dramatically. Being from the Midwest, I am not as familiar with the advantages and disadvantages associated with only using public transportation. What do you think of this system? Do you think transportation in Hong Kong is similar to transportation in New York City?
