• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
GO TO EXPAT LIVING SINGAPORE
GET OUR NEWSLETTER

Expat Living Hong Kong HomepageExpat Living Hong Kong

Moving to Hong Kong and not sure where to start? Expat Living is the essential lifestyle guide to living in Hong Kong.

Login Pelcro Shop

Menu
  • Living In Hong Kong
      • Living Here
      • Where To Live
      • Schools
      • For Guys
        • A day in the life of a Shrewsbury student
        • 6 Beautiful Boats for a Day at Sea
        • IWD in Hong Kong - successful female entrepreneurs and business women stories - Lavish and RajviIWD Special: Women kicking goals in HK #2
        • Men's tailors in Hong KongOur top picks for men’s tailors
      • View all
    Close
  • Things To Do
      • Things To Do
      • What’s On/Calendar
      • Competitions & Offers
        • 6 Beautiful Boats for a Day at Sea
        • things to do in Hong Kong - Art Central 2023Top 35 Best Things To Do In Hong Kong This Weekend
        • What to watch this month – Netflix & more!
        • Kowloon Walled City Park10 must-see historical buildings in HK
      • View all
    Close
  • Kids
      • Activities & Things To Do
      • Education & Enrichment
      • Health & Wellness
      • Mums & Babies
      • Podcasts
        • A day in the life of a Shrewsbury student
        • Tackling the issue of kids and online safety
        • Meet the new head teacher at Stamford
        • Things to do with kids on their school break
      • View all
    Close
  • Homes
      • Home Décor
      • Readers Homes
        • Exploring the interiors of HK’s newest hotel
        • What’s in your mattress?
        • Why leasing furniture can be a great option
        • Home news - new furniture , décor and store openings in Hong Kong - Altfield tulipieresHome news: décor, furniture & more!
      • View all
    Close
  • Travel
      • Short Breaks
      • Further Afield
      • Travel News & Offers
        • 6 Beautiful Boats for a Day at Sea
        • 10 of the most famous gardens in the world
        • travel from hong kong to macau - new macau hotels - LondonerA guide for your next trip to Macau
        • new hotels and hotel deals in Hong Kong - Regent Hong Kong reopeningTravel News and Hotel Deals
      • View all
    Close
  • Wine & Dine
      • Recipes & Groceries
      • Bars & Restaurants
        • Pizza restaurants in Hong Kong, takeaway pizzas and delivery - Pizzeria Italiana5 Places to get great pizza in HK
        • Cask whiskies stacked for article on investing in cask whisk for Cask Trade in Hong KongInvesting in whisky casks in Hong Kong
        • International Women's Day – stories of female entrepreneurs and businesswomen in Hong Kong – NanaIWD Special: Women kicking goals in HK #1
        • Oven-Baked Iberico Pork St Louis Spare Ribs
      • View all
    Close
  • Style & Beauty
      • Fashion
      • Hair & Beauty
        • The latest in laser hair removal, plus great deals!
        • Men's tailors in Hong KongOur top picks for men’s tailors
        • Beauty news: The latest launches!
        • Best lipsticks and lip glosses - reviewsOur reviews: Lipsticks & glosses
      • View all
    Close
  • Health & Fitness
      • Medical & Dental
      • Fitness
      • Wellness
        • heart health: high cholesterol levels and cardiovascular disease10 Key Questions on Cholesterol
        • Fitness the Fast way!
        • 10 great gyms & studios to keep in shape
        • A gastric balloon that can help you lose weight
      • View all
    Close
  • Shop
    • Magazine
    • Advertise With Us
    • Close

Queue etiquette in Hong Kong

18 January, 2019 by Laura Tyson 2 Min Read

https://expatliving.hk/queue-etiquette-in-hong-kong/

I’ve been around and about. I’ve lived on three continents; I’ve worked in and visited over 40 countries. I am British, and frankly I considered myself an internationally superior queuer. That is, until I moved to Hong Kong.

people queuing for web article on queue etiquette in Hong Kong

It’s a rite of passage for British children to become expert queuers. There are unwritten rules about what to do when someone strays a little too far from the line or when there’s a collective need to snake round to avoid obstructing others. Over time, the rules have evolved to adapt to modern living. Cash machines have their own special etiquette: keep far enough away that you can’t read the pin but close enough to make it clear you’re next.

The Brits feel nothing but disdain for people who fail to see the importance of good manners whilst queuing. But in Hong Kong the queuing etiquette is born of something else. It’s born of a fear of disorder. Whilst the Brits fear a denigration of manners, Hong Kong locals fear chaos. A chaos that would engulf and unravel this small highly populated territory.

As a result, the queuing here takes on different characteristics from home. There’s no talking, absolutely no eye contact. This is queuing with a mission and a clear focus.

Taxis queue for petrol, you have to queue for a slot to give birth, people queue for years for social housing, cars queue to escape the island by tunnel. There are queues for just about everything. And if you want to jump the queue, well that is the reserve of the uber-wealthy.

Some things even have multiple queues. Get in the wrong queue for a lift and you could find yourself stranded in the wrong half of a building with no choice but to descend to ground and re-queue.

There is a compulsion factor to the queues here that I have never experienced at home. In particular I refer to a mysterious queue halfway up the outdoor escalator in Central. Every time I pass it, people are queuing to do something with their Octopus card. Then they just walk on. I’ve no idea why they queue but I feel compelled to join. I want to be part of the mission.

Not only are the queues superlative in their formation but there’s an arrogance about how well they do it that, as a Brit, I can relate to and frankly admire. The opinion of Chinese mainlanders’ ability (or inability) to queue is so scornful it has the potential to escalate to the level of an international diplomatic incident.

This is where the locals have developed their own unwritten and steadfast rules. You must follow the designated exit out of the car park. Often car parks are like passport control in the early hours of a weekday morning; nobody in the queue and yet you’re still made to walk a mile back and forth along a demarcated pathway. Hong Kong’s car parks follow the same principle. You’re forced to drive round and round for an age when you could just nip across some empty spaces and be free. Yet nobody, bar a few expats, will dare to stray from the long queue with no one in it.

On the rare occasion I see a local breaking the car park queue rules, I celebrate. I admire their queue rebelliousness. I accept that I am no longer an internationally superior queuer. We Brits are no longer internationally superior at anything.

 

Like this? See more in our Living in Hong Kong section

Hiring a helper: 10 questions to ask
Fun things to do in Hong Kong

Categories: Living Here Living In Hong Kong

Get the latest events, stories and special offers sent to your inbox
Get the latest events, stories and special offers sent to your inbox

You May Also Like

A day in the life of a Shrewsbury student

What to consider when choosing an international mover

IWD in Hong Kong - successful female entrepreneurs and business women stories - Lavish and Rajvi

IWD Special: Women kicking goals in HK #2

Primary Sidebar

  • COMPETITIONS & OFFERS
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Subscribe

© 2023 Expat Living Hong Kong, All Rights Reserved.