“Hong Kong is a very safe city”. Those of us that live here have heard those words many times, and it’s certainly true. For a city of this size there is very little crime, and what crime there is tends to be reported in an “omygosh!” fashion by the local media, instead of the “ho-hum, so what else is new” reporting we would get for the same incident in the states, if it would even be reported at all.
A couple of days ago I had the good fortune to experience just how safe and honest this city really is. I was at a meeting of the AWA Local Tours committee at a member’s home in Wan Chai, when my mobile rang.
“Hello, is this Mrs. Nill?” a male voice asked.
“Yes…” I replied cautiously.
“Did you take a taxi this morning?”
“Yes…” I replied, now feeling a little apprehensive.
“Did you lose your wallet in this taxi?”
“Um, I don’t know, let me check.”
I grabbed my bag and looked inside. Sure enough, my wallet was missing.
“O My God! Yes, my wallet is gone!”
“O my god..” he chuckled. I have no idea why this was funny to him. Its probably not a common Cantonese exclamation.
“This is Mr. On at the Sheung Wan Waterfront Police Station. The person that rode in your taxi after you found your wallet and turned it in. Please come get it as soon as possible.”
In a state of panic, I borrowed enough money from my friends for the taxi ride and flew to Sheung Wan. Yes, my wallet was there, and not a single Hong Kong cent was missing. The wallet had quite a lot of money it in, credit cards, ATM card, Octopus card, Hong Kong Id, etc. etc. You all can imagine the incredible hassle I would have experienced in Hong Kong trying to replace those cards and my Id. I was SO grateful!
The kind policeman, Mr. On, said I was lucky, but I think it was more than that. People here are honest, and this is not the first time I’ve heard of something like this happening to someone. A friend of a friend visiting here in Hong Kong left an expensive camera in a taxi and the taxi company called them with the recovered camera before they even had a chance to report it! A friend’s son rode a taxi home from school by himself when he was in middle school, and there was an accident on the road. The taxi driver called my friend to let her know why they were delayed so that she wouldn’t worry!
How many times have I been in a taxi where the taxi driver got lost or made a wrong turn and then refused to take the full fare? Would that happen in most cities in the US?
I feel safe in Hong Kong no matter where I am, no matter what time it is, and no matter if I am the only Westerner around.
I think honesty here has something to do with the Chinese concept of honor. I’m sure we have all had the experience of bargaining in a market and unintentionally starting our price too low. Most of the time the shopkeeper will at that point refuse to negotiate further. “You can go to Shenzhen!” I’ve had one shopkeeper tell me huffily as he turned away. They would rather lose a sale than deal with an obviously ignorant (and rude) shopper.
The things we might think of as dishonest, such as shopkeepers in the markets starting with outrageously high prices if they think they can get away with it, to the Chinese I think, are just attempts to make more money if they can. If the price isn’t set and the person doesn’t know any better I guess we seem like fair game to them. I can’t fault them for that. But, although they exist, pick-pockets are relatively rare in Hong Kong, compared to certain areas of Europe or the Mainland. And it’s not that people here are well-off. There are many very poor people here, living in difficult circumstances. The taxi drivers that refuse a full fare when they have made an error don’t make much money on the best of days.
This is not to say that you don’t need to be careful, just like you would in any large city. It’s important to stay alert and aware of your surroundings. Don’t walk around with your purse unzipped, or dangling loosely from your arm, especially in the markets. Don’t leave your belongings unattended in a crowded restaurant. If someone bumps you on the MTR, it might be an accident, or maybe not. I’ve taken to bumping them right back, just in case. Of course the paper said the other day two women got in a fight because of a similar bumping incident, so maybe I need to alter my approach!
I don’t fully understand why this city is so safe and honest, but it definitely contributes to the pleasures of living here, and is just one more reason why I love Hong Kong! Not to mention that I’m thrilled that my wallet was returned so quickly and without a thing missing.
By the way, Mr. On told me that it was very good that I had some of my name cards in my wallet, because it made it very easy to contact me. Just a helpful hint you might want to consider!
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