OK, so if you've been to China you probably waited in the awful lines to get your ticket. I know I'm waiting in the line because I have no choice, but what's up with the zillions of other people in the line? They have the choice to use the automatic machines. Why do they choose those horrible lines?
Posted Aug 21, 2019, 10:44 AM UTC
I ask this every time!
Where I live, delivery isn't an option. I've wasted hours of my life waiting in line and arguing with people trying to cut in.
I've asked a Chinese friend before, and they said the majority of people in line are probably older people who are used to doing it the old way, and/or partially illiterate or unwilling to use a phone for train ticket purchases.
I guess I'll start paying attention to who buys tickets and who is changing their tickets. But it seems to me that there is a good distribution of people in line, yound and old, rich and poor, literate and illiterate.
I’m from China and I can explain this to you.
The train ticketing system 12306 is flawed. If you buy tickets from 12306 all your transactions have to stay online including reassigning to a different train or canceling for refund. If however, for some reason, you have to go to the counter to reassign or cancel (I made a post at the beginning of July about NOT using 12306 credit to exchange tickets) your tickets, you are doomed because once you get your ticket from the counter (or “in person”) all future reassigning and cancel has to be done in person.
This explains why people have to 改签, but there are still loads of people who buy tickets （售票）。
I am not trying to contradict what you're saying that some people are kinda old school preferring to purchase tickets the old way.
But there are scenarios in which you aren't allowed to 改签, you have to rescind the ticket and purchase a new one, and you can only do that at ticket selling windows
Check out this post made by me in July https://reddit.com/r/China/comments/c9lb00/be_aware_of_12306_using_credit_to_exchange/
The people in the lines are all the 农民 who don't have the intelligence to use the machine or don't have ID cards. Enjoy waiting for hours while they argue they should be allowed to buy a train ticket with chickens.
Good train stations should have 外国人 only windows and lines that go quickly.
They should just have the automatic machines accept passports like they do in the airport.
Wtf man get out of here with that logical thinking.
this is the actual right answer. they're farmers/first time non-green train riders
You can pay a bit and have them delivered to your home. I bought tickets for myself and visiting friends and relatives.
I've known about this, but I've never done it. Yeah, I'll try it out. But sometimes it's not an option.
I hate it that party officials can push in line just because They're Important.
You can actually register your passport at certain locations in the stations and order your tickets online. I’ve done it with a foreign passport and it works great.
This allows you to have more than 4 booked at one time. No need to register your passport just to book. You still have to wait in line to pick up your tickets.
I find ordering at fast food restaurants or Starbucks more infuriating.
waits in line 10 minutes on phone
gets to counter. Doesn't know what they want even after 10 minutes of being in line. Still on wechat throughout this
proceeds to ask 20 questions about the food or beverage they have consumed a bajillion times and about the VIP/promotional cards
finally orders. They never get the VIP promo card but always ask. Wechat has been still there the whole time. Tap tap tap.
my veins begin to pop out everywhere and blood pressure rises at this zombie in front of me. It's a hambaobao. 2 pieces of bread with meat between them like the last time it was explained to you
time to pay. Finally! Still conversing on wechat. Given the total but must finish the post describing macdonalds to friends. Finally scans the Qr. while able to type 88 characters per minute, fumbles and takes 2 minutes to enter 3 numbers into wechat pay screen
Train lines are only sometimes (fly. You'll thank me. It's easier, quicker, and almost the same price as a 1st class train ticket).Being in line in China where transactions take place are forever.
Don't get me started with staring at the newer interactive ordering screens for 44 minutes like it was a monolith.
One of the most prominent cultural differences is that Chinese people are unphased by inconveniencing others. I guess they just don't think about it.