Pure Rant, No Malice Intended (Mostly)
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Wow, I had a great trip to Beijing during the May Day holiday, experiencing some things that really surprised me and opened my eyes! I just have to share them with you all. #Impressed #MayDayBeijingAdventure
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On May 2nd, after touring the huge imperial garden known as the Summer Palace (where the emperors used to spend their summers), I needed to use the restroom.
- A parent dragged their child to the front of the queue while shouting, "My kid has got to go to the bathroom, please let us through!"
- What made me chuckle was that there was another family with kids waiting in line, and they responded, "Who doesn't have kids?! Everyone here in line is dealing with the same thing!" (Solid counter!)
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Then on the evening of May 3rd, since the next morning's flag-raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square is such a big and solemn event, I started queuing up at around 10 p.m., so crowded you could say it's human mountain and sea!
- However, one hour before the start of the ceremony, another parent managed to shove their child into my place, claiming, "Can't my kid stand in front of yours? After all, kids don't take up much space."
- By then, this set off a chain reaction and four more children ended up at the front without even trying to wait for their turn!
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Last but not least, on the noon of May 4th, while waiting for the cable car ride at the famous Badaling section of the Great Wall,
- an adorable little boy bolted right ahead to the front of the queuing line.
- His parental figure calmly followed behind while boasting, "See, my kid just jumped the entire queue, could someone move over for them?"
Lastly, to add some further unpleasantness during the wait for the flag-raising, throughout the night my pants kept getting kicked repeatedly by little feet. Not intentionally, which I suspect, but still it irritated me no end. I finally turned back and confronted the child's parent, saying, "Sister, could you kindly remind your kid to keep their feet to themselves? My pants have been kicked quite a lot." Thankfully, that settled the matter once and for all.
️ Important Travel Tips & Red Flag Warning (YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE) ️-
Regarding Queue Jumping:
- What happens: In popular tourist destinations across China, especially during holiday times, you might come across parents bringing their kids trying to jump the queue, rationalizing they're 'small kids' or 'got to go'.
- What to do: Sometimes others within the queue step up to stop them - as I witnessed in the Summer Park.
It's common people let the behaviour pass due to the hassle, but if you feel uncomfortable, tactfully call out the queue-jumping act. In the case of crowded places like the flag-raising (watch), they may try forcing their offspring to the front under the pretense that ‘kids don’t take space.' This behaviour is hard to avoid and you just need to brace yourself for this.
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Regarding disturbances from children unintentionally:
- What happens: In densely packed spaces or times spent queuing, inadvertent disturbances by children might occur, like kicking or touching you.
- What to do: Often, these acts are unintentional. If they’re occasional, just overlook them. But if they persist, like experiencing repetitive kicks to your pants, directly address it with the parents. Kind but clear, for example, "Not to offend you, but could you please remind the kids?" The comment I made (whether to rinse my pants) is a humorous yet straightforward way of voicing frustration; normally, a more moderate expression would suffice and resolve most cases.
In summary, whenever you visit popular cities like Beijing during holiday seasons, expecting large crowds is inevitable. Try not to take all that seriously and stay in good spirits. It’s alright to stand up for yourself when necessary!
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What I'm complaining about is the behavior of tourists, it has nothing to do with the city itself. (I mentioned Beijing because I was there during the May Day holiday and witnessed these kinds of inconsiderate actions.)
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All advertisements will be deleted, just so you know.
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It's well-known that some parents will exploit the 'kid card' to its absolute limit... Their children can cut in line, create a ruckus, be noisy, and disrupt order, and the only excuse is: 'They're just a child!' Who can argue with that, right?
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And if you dare to refuse, they'll call you intolerant and even curse you, saying you'll never have children. A whole barrage of smooth curses just rolls off their tongue.
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To be honest, during holidays, the people you see out and about in Beijing are mostly not locals. Locals usually just stay cooped up at home.
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No, no, with Hebei being 'so close and so beautiful,' Beijingers are likely all vacationing there!