RANT
I regularly commute into town on the Peak Tram. It's a marvellous way to get into town. As a general rule it's almost empty and you get a great view on the way down the hill. As an added bonus you don't have to worry about Hong Kong's appalling drivers doing something completely random and hitting you. For those who have never used this form of transport there is a "driver" whose job basically is to open and shut the doors at either end. He/She unsurprisingly stands at the front of the tram facing the direction of travel, so has to change ends depending on whether it's going up or down.
So there I am on the Peak Tram this morning. It's 7.30am. It's quiet and peaceful. This morning it's unusually full - there are 5 of us on board (a mix of locals and expats) spread over the 2 carriages. Everyone is sitting quietly minding their own business, as should happen at 7.30am.
Then, after we've been moving for about 30 seconds, the cantonese guy halway up the second carriage turns to the driver, a full carriage-and-a-half away, and shouts something in cantonese (is there any other volume in Cantonese than shout?). we are all rudely roused from our gentle slumbers. She replies, at full volume obviously. He replies. A full blown (and full volume) conversation gets under way all the way down the hill.
The rest of us all look at each other in disbelief.
Obviously we can't beat the driver to a pulp because none of us know how to operate the brake.
And we can't beat the other guy up as it would mean walking up the length of the tram, which is on a steep downslope remember, and it's early so none of us can be bothered.
So what do we do? As we get out we all give her and him evil looks and, in true english fashion, mutter a quiet "tut" under our breaths.
That'll show them!
Sadly as we have probably all discovered this is water off a ducks back to the inhabitants of this city, so please be prepared to hear of gweilos running amok on the Tram with sharpened umbrellas early in the morning. No-one disturbs my early mornings twice.
