It is being widely reported that in the coming months, Queuing Inspectors will oversee the queuing process at metro stations and high-speed railway stations in order to leave visitors to the forthcoming during the Youth Olympic Games suitably impressed.
The Inspectors, wearing uniforms resembling YOG mascot Lele with brightly-coloured lines for high visibility, will instruct passengers on where to stand in the queue and make sure attempts to jump queues or not letting passengers get off the train first do not go unpunished. For one, the inspectors have the right to take down offenders’ details and send them to a queuing class in cooperation with Nanjing-based company QueueRight (南京排对教训有限公司) whose Chinese company name is a wordplay on the words “to queue” (排队) and “right” (对)。
Liang Xun, general manager of QueueRight explains the process. “If someone is caught in an attempt of queue-jumping, they are obliged to take a queuing class with us. We will spend a Saturday morning with people to explain the theory behind queuing, e.g. why is it important and how to queue correctly. In the afternoon it is time for the practical; our professional instructors will take students outside to test whether they can now queue and upon successful completion of the practical will issue a queuing certificate.”
However, owners of the certificate have to be even more careful, since a breach of the rules for trained queuers means paying a fine of ¥500.
The reason for these measures is a survey of expats in China conducted by Ipsos Mori, which revealed last week that foreigners feel the non-existent queuing system is the number one irritation of living in China. 78 percent of participants named “lack of queuing” as the most frustrating aspect of life in the Middle Kingdom, placing its importance before smog, food safety and irregular buses.
The local government is now reacting to these figures by trying to ensure that Nanjing knows how to queue, to impress the hordes of foreign visitors that will be coming into the city for the Youth Olympic Games.
A spokesperson for the Nanjing Railway Department made a statement last week regarding the measures. “We want foreigners coming to Nanjing to feel at home, to feel happy and to return to their countries and tell everyone about their great experience in Nanjing. Now we know that queuing will be a major factor in whether or not people enjoy their stay, and we can do something about it.”
As there is a worry of some people reacting violently, the Queuing Inspectors will be equipped with tazers in order to ensure their personal safety. This might, however, not be enough. At Chongqiing Railway Station, where Queue Inspectors have been in place for the last three month, one unlucky individual was trampled by a mass of passengers who had queued up at their respective coach lines on the platform when the high-speed train did not stop in time and overshot by 50m. The passengers rushing to their coaches knocked down the 40-year old man, who was lucky to get away with severe bruising and a rib fracture.
Whether this new system will help to impress foreign visitors during the Olympics remains to be seen. One must admit, the whole thing seems a little “foolish”.
