By Patrick Whiteley (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-10-18 06:56

Beijing's new subway line is absolutely sensational, but the attitude of some commuters needs serious overhauling. Young women are being groped, and old ladies are being forced to stand. What a disgrace.

I rode the multi-billion dollar rail line over the weekend and it matched my experiences on the London, New York, Tokyo and Sydney subways. It is saving Beijingers a lot of time and money.

Before the line was open, a work friend used to waste 90 minutes traveling to the office. Now she spends only 30 minutes getting to work and has an extra two hours a day for herself. The railway is boosting Beijing's economy in a big way. It is taking cars off the road and freeing up space on buses. It is giving back Beijingers precious time. The impact is huge.

But there is one area of its operation which needs immediate improvement and it has nothing to do with the actual railway itself. The attitude of some commuters needs major repair. Younger commuters need to show more respect to the elderly members in the community and some rude men need to keep their roaming hands to themselves.

I witnessed one old lady standing in a carriage, while a group of early 20-somethings enjoyed the limited seating available. These young people were happily chatting among themselves, and were enjoying the timesaving benefits of their new mode of transport.

But only a few feet next to them was an elderly lady who was forced to stand. The youngsters were oblivious to the needs of the old lady, who looked tired, but did not complain.

On any subway system in the world, it is common practice for commuters to offer their seats to senior people, pregnant women or women with young babies.

On the Tokyo subway, younger men and women would gladly offer their seats immediately.

These young Beijingers may say they have paid the same 2 yuan ($0.26) fare and deserve the same services. They say everybody is equal. We are all equal, but that's not the point. The issue is common courtesy. If these young people were riding the subway with their mother or grandmother, would they offer their seat to these people? Yes they would. Why? Because it is a sign of respect. Why can't they show this respect for the senior members of their Beijing community?

Subway waiting times are short, there is a train every three minutes during rush hours and every seven minutes during off-peak times. The actual journey itself is quick too and most standing commuters don't have to endure a very long ride. So it's no major loss for these young commuters to offer their seats to the seniors. And they will feel better about themselves too.

There are also disturbing reports that some women are being groped as they stand in the crowded carriages. A friend said she was man-handled as she departed the carriage. The authorities need to crack down on this disgusting behavior and a few of these disgraceful men need to be made examples to serve warning to others.

Confucius said that without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts? Confucius would be disappointed with the attitude of some of Beijing's subway commuters.

(China Daily 10/18/2007 page20)