I have stated my love for Hong Kong for a while. I featured the items I like most about the territory and things that people need to do before they leave HK.

Licence Plate Numbers

There are many aspects of Hong Kong plate numbers that I don’t like. The physical appearance is one. I think it’s too bland in design, with no prominent government logo in place and not even uniform in size across different type of vehicles. When you see plate numbers of other countries, you’ll immediately note that Hong Kong’s design fails in comparison.

It’s not only with designs. The idea of auctioning license plates only provide another avenue for the super rich to brag about their mortal treasures. In an otherwise fair ruling, if you are in line to get that lucky 888 licence plate, you will get it because it was also the next in line. Just like a leaf of an official receipt that shows an invoice number 888, the sales clerk can’t skip it because it is intended for the next buyer.

Perhaps it all begins with owning a car in a place that is admirable for its extensive transportation links.

TV on Buses

I personally hate the idea of having televisions installed on buses. Whether it is a reality show, live NBA game or an eagerly awaited soap opera. Worse, in Hong Kong it’s packed with mostly non-educational stuff including that notorious Shape Easy weight loss commercial that featured a dancing matron who is too old to lose those flabs. And they are too in-your-face (or ear), using 10 speakers to guarantee you’ll hear the message.

If show is too good to watch, will passengers make a tough decision to skip the bus stop and take the next one? Will the TV be a distraction that helps pickpockets accomplish their mission? Will bus TV noise be a deterrent for people who want to take a short nap while traveling? Will it make someone drowsy with all the motion that’s taking place? For me, yes.

If you agree with me, let’s lodge a complain together!

Dripping Aircons

If you walk on the streets along the edge of the road on a summer day, chances are you’ll be sprinkled with dripping aircondition excesses from flats up above. You’ll never want to start imagining it to be other than water coming out of defective aircons!

There is a law that actually penalizes owners of flats whose aircons emit undesirable substances apart from cool, clean air. However, it is difficult to enforce due to obvious reasons. There are guidelines as well, but they are not heard properly. Will pursuing aircon manufacturers partially solve the problem? Probably not.

Crowded Streets

Crowded streets take place in Hong Kong not because this place is overpopulated. Hong Kong has pavements narrow enough to handle a capacity crowd on a daily basis. Pedestrians are composed of brisk walking office workers and a seizable portion of the elderly population and the next generation which makes tripping and bumping a common experience.

It would be difficult to walk faster unless you know how to negotiate with the maze of slower fellows. What seems more difficult to forgive are those who just stand in the way, either waiting for the bus or just plain standing like a lamp post without care in the world. Shops providing extension of their sale items on the pavements or commodities waiting to be shipped into a closed shop compound the crowding problem.

I should mention the streets are also haven for scammers.

Mean and smelly people

If someone asks me to pick one single reason why I hate Hong Kong, this must be it. While I believe that most Hong Kong people are considerate and will be willing to help when they come across an opportunity to help, there are a few head cases. They can be a form of arrogant taxi drivers, mean shop attendants who won’t accommodate non-Cantonese speakers or those who smirk at you when you accidentally bump at them. I won’t use even use the argument of racial discrimination here.

I also suspect a number of people here aren’t fond of making the trip to the showers. Or maybe fail to use a bath soap or cream when they go there. Imagine yourself inside a tram’s lower deck at 3pm on a scorching summer afternoon. Or in a crowded bus at seven in the evening. Oh boy, the area must be cleared because it just stinks! Others attempt to use deodorant, only to reveal an even more obnoxious smell once the concealment’s effect expires. What I am surprised about is that even if I am covering my nose or hold my breathe, nobody seems to notice the smell of bad air.

Every city you live in has its good and bad sides, positive and negative, advantages and disadvantages. Hong Kong is not different. What I like might be someone’s nightmare and maybe one of the items I listed above may pass as a “tolerable nuisance” to others. We have our own experiences, tastes and personalities so it’s not surprising if someone reacts negatively to this post.

I welcome comments and additional entries.