David J Baldwin

What a difference 15 minutes can make in the morning. I got on the subway a little earlier today. I had been boarding around 8:45, and today I boarded at 8:30. It was very crowded. At the Jianguomen stop, which is a transfer station, 20 more people pushed their way onto the already crowded train, and I was physically pushed up against all of the people around me. I rode the last leg of my journey fully pressed up against at least 4 people, breathing on the neck of the man in front of me. Similarly, the elevators in our building were crowded. I had to wait for 5 elevators to pass before I found one I could ride up. I arrived in the office sweaty and exhausted. A great way to start the day!

I took the Beijing Subway to work today, and since I left for work at 9am, it wasn't very crowded. It got me there in about 10 minutes, and best of all it only cost 2 Yuan. ($0.29) The coolest thing is that when the train enters the tunnel between stations, they have continuous LCD screens along the wall, all playing the same commercials. As you pass them at train speed looking out the window, you see a continuous, though blinking, image. An amazing approach to advertising--your audience is certainly captive!