By Wayne Chan, AsAmNews Humorist
For more and more folks in Hong Kong, the perfect antidote for being stymied by China’s strict Covid quarantine and travel requirements is to take a 51-mile round trip bus ride around Hong Kong to get a little shut-eye.
To be sure, the “Bus Sleeping Tour” organized by a local travel company, does indeed stop at a number of picturesque locations, but the main attraction of the route is to allow its patrons to snooze right through it.
For those of you who have been to Hong Kong, it’s no surprise that it’s a city that never sleeps, where locals routinely stay up well past midnight and get up early to go to work. Combine that with living in cramped high rises in a bustling (and noisy) setting, and throw in the government’s aggressive Covid protocols, it’s no wonder folks are seeking innovative ways to get a little respite.
I can see the attraction though. The bus drives along on a leisurely route in a climate-controlled environment, with the gentle swaying back and forth of the bus as it goes along its route. Relaxing music lulls the occupants into a blissful slumber. Still, with Covid rules forcing everyone to still wear a mask while on the bus, and many of the “slumber tourists” wearing night masks to block out the sun, you can imagine the horrific reaction of those uninitiated to see a busload of mummies slouched in a bus traveling down the road.
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To each their own, but if I could customize my own personal bus ride, I can think of several other “attractions” that would suit me better. In fact, I think there should be a whole bevy of customized bus tours when you get to the bus terminal. I can see it now.
Me: Excuse me, Mr. bus manager? Where’s the terminal to board the Peanut Butter Cookie Express?
Terminal Manager: Oh, just head over to the left, past the “Foot Rub” Main Line but before you get to the “Snowball fight” Metro Line.
Me: The “Snowball fight” Metro line?
Terminal Manager: Yes, but if you change your mind and want to go on that route, we sell protective goggles in the gift shop.
I suppose that with Covid-19, each country deals with it in its own way. With Hong Kong, their “Zero-Covid” approach is pushing locals to ride buses in order to take a well-deserved nap. On the other hand, their approach has led a city of 7 million people to record fewer than 13,000 cases of Covid and only 213 deaths.
Back here at home, we believe in personal freedom and the choice to wear a mask or get vaccinated if and when we want. Just for comparison’s sake, a city like Atlanta, Georgia, with a population of nearly 500,000 people, has recorded 162,000 cases and 1,893 deaths.
To each their own, right?
For me personally, with the Omicron variant at full tilt right now, I’ve been isolating at home a lot more lately. I’ve managed to clean up the yard and gotten rid of a lot of clutter. But one thing I can really appreciate, being at home has given me a lot more time to get some rest and take some well-deserved naps.
Wait a minute…
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