There is one more risk passengers have to deal with when they are within the premises of Hong Kong’s subway system: pickpockets. While there is no area that’s absolutely free from these culprits, the cases taking place in the MTR has been growing almost 60 percent in the first half of 2010, compared with the same period last year. The train company seems unfazed with the growth as it insists the MTR remains as one of the safest urban rail networks in the world.
If we translate these perecentages into numbers, that’s 76 pickpocket incidents from January to June of 2009 to 121 cases in the same period this year. Considering that the railway network carries 3.7 million passengers on a given weekday, pickpocket cases is almost negligible and therefore this blog post may not be worth reading. Yet, the issue needs to be shared to everyone due to a simple reason. As more communities are built around MTR stations — an important consideration when choosing home — more people prefer to take the train. The likelihood of crowding becomes more prevalent and job opportunities for pickpockets gets better. Also, a large portion of the 29.5 million tourists that visit Hong Kong each year take the MTR around the city. Many of them may be too naive and fall into the theft trap.
The next time we board the crowded train we could be the next victim. Also, not all cases are reported and some people prefer to mind their own business instead of tipping authorities of a crime taking place even if the MTR hands awards to responsible passengers who helped prevent crime.
Rush hour may be the favorite time for pickpockets to operate. And why not, when everyone is busy ensuring they fit into the crowded carriage instead of paying attention to the welfare of others. For women, this is an additional challenge as cases of indecent assault is also one of the leading petty crimes happening inside the train.
The warning is simple: be safe or be sorry even at one of the safest public transport systems in the world.
