Dying Would Be More Exciting

If ever you wanted a visual description of the most useless job in Hong Kong, you'd need look no further than the yellow-jacketed MTR "attendants" posted at entrance and exit points of all moving walkways in the East Tsim Sha Tsui station during peak hours.

All I've seen them do is stand rooted at their assigned posts and observe the masses of commuters streaming toward connecting trains. On rare occasions some poor lost soul asks for directions, but the rest of the time the yellowjackets are roundly disregarded, to the point where they may as well not exist. The station managers could replace them all with mannequins and no one would notice.

Aside of toll-booth operators, who at least enjoy the benefit of having coins flung at them to break up the tedium, these attendants endure one of the most mind-numbing, soul-deadening jobs on the planet. Toilet-cleaning crews in the malls have more job satisfaction.

Why the MTR bosses feel it's necessary to monitor folks using a flat travelling surface is a mystery. I'd chalk it up as punishment, except I see the same blank faces and lifeless eyes each time I pass through the concourse. In fact, I'd almost call it abuse.

It's a miracle not one has thrown himself under a train yet.

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