Civism in Macau as I see it

With more time at my disposal since my retirement, I have been going out more often. I thus see more of Macau than I used to. I also observe Macau’s people more carefully and intentionally. I have got a sketchy impression of how they behave in public, and how strong a sense of civism most of them have. 

A ride on a Macau bus is seldom a pleasant experience nowadays especially when it is crowded with people standing even in the forbidden area near the exit door. But it is also on the bus that I have been treated a few times with respect and kindness. I felt surprised and embarrassed when, at the announcement by my Macau Pass (the electronic bus card) of my status as a senior citizen, I was first offered a ‘red seat’, one of those specially reserved for the needy. Though reluctant to disclose my age, I thanked the kind lady – seemingly a Filipino - and gladly accepted the offer. I have gradually noticed that people usually keep the ‘red seats’ for the intended passengers and offering the seat is on the whole a usual practice.  Another example of good civism I observe on a bus ride is that most of the passengers are willing to alight at the rear door except when the bus is so fully packed as to leave no moving space all the way to the back.

People have also got used to waiting in a queue for the lift. The lifts leading to the different floors of the government hospital are frequently used. There are people paying visits to the inmates and those going for medical treatment. A long queue is often seen especially during the rush hour. Imagine what chaos would result if people refused to queue up in order. A queue is also often found at the entrance to the lift bringing people up and down the footbridge across the main street near Delta Bank. This way, people won’t feel anxious about not being able to use the lift as their turn will come somehow. 

Of course, there has been complaint about queue jumping and passengers carrying big-sized luggage onto the bus. These are, however, rare cases. Complaint about people not lining up at the bus stops is justifiable. But as I see it, it is not easy to arrange waiting passengers in lines as the bus stops are used by different bus routes at the same time. Besides, Macau’s streets are crowded and narrow. To stop the bus at the right spot to let passengers  in and out  poses great difficulty. So the cause of the problems lies not so much in people’s lack of civism as in the city’s lack of good planning. 

On the whole, Macau’s citizens have a rather good sense of civism. There is, doubtlessly, room for improvement, which depends greatly on better education and  more efficient government guidance.