Customer Service - Shanghai style

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I'm in Shanghai at the moment. I am sitting my GMAT exam tomorrow afternoon and this is the closest place I could do it. Despite studying the past couple of months my maths (and maths exam technique) is still pretty appalling and although I usually score between 600-650 on the practise tests that's becuase my verbal reasoning (99th percentile) is dragging up my quantative score (somewhere down in the 30th percentile). So, we'll see.

Anyhoo, the reason for this post is that I did have an odd, rather unsettling experience today when I got here. Ｉ　ｗａｎｔｅｄ　ｔｏ　ｔａｋｅ　ｔｈｅ　ｕｎｄｅｒｇｒｏｕｎｄ　ｔｏ　ｍｙ　ｕｎｃｌｅ＇ｓ　ｈｏｕｓｅ，　ｒａｔｈｅｒ　ｔｈａｎ　ａ　ｔａｘｉ　，　ｍaiｎｌｙ　ｂｅｃａｕｓｅ　Ｉ　ｗａｎｔｅｄ　ｔｏ　ｓｅｅ　ｉｆ　Ｉ　ｃｏｕｌｄ　ｇｅｔ　ａｒｏｕｎｄ　ｂｙ　ｍｙｓｅｌｆ．　Ｔｈｅ　ｌａｓｔ　ｃｏｕｐｌｅ　ｏｆ　ｍｏｎｔｈｓ　ｈａｖｅ　ｒｅａｌｌｙ　ｋｎｏｃｋｅｄ　ｍｙ　ｓｅｌｆ　ｃｏｎｆｉｄｅｎｃｅ　ａｄ　Ｉthought it would ｂｅ good for me. 　Ｉｔ　ｓｈｏｕｌｄｎ＇ｔ　ｈａｖｅ　ｂｅｅｎ　ｔｏｏ　ｈａｒｄ，　ｔｈｅ　ｂｕｓ　ｓｔａｔｉｏｎ　ｉｓ　ｃｏｎｎｅｃｔｅｄ　ｔｏ　ｔｈｅ　ｔｒａｉｎ　ｓｔａｔｉｏｎ　ｂｙ　ａ　ｍａｓｓｉｖｅ　ｕｎｄｅｒｇｒｏｕｎｄ　ｃｏｎｃｏｕｒｓｅ　ａｎｄ　ｍｏｓｔ　ｓｉｇｎｓ　ａｒｅ　ｉｎ　Ｅｎｇｌｉｓｈ　ａｎｄ　Ｃｈｉｎｅｓｅ．　Ｓｏ，　Ｉ　ｗａｓ　ｗａｉｔｉｎｇ　ｂｙ　ｏｎｅ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｍａｃｈｉｎｅｓ　ｔｈａｔ　ｈｅｌｐ　ｙｏｕ　ｎａｖｉｇａｔｅ　ｗｈｉｃｈ　ｌｉｎｅ　ｙｏｕ　ｗａｎｔ，　ｊｕｓｔ　ｗａｉｔｉｎｇ　ｆｏｒ　ｔｈｅ　ｐｅｒｓｏｎ　ｉｎ　ｆｒｏｎｔ　ｏｆ　ｍｙ　ｔｏ　ｆｉｎｉｓｈ　ｗｈｅｎ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｇｕｙ　ｉｎ　ａ　ｂｌｕｅ　ｓｈｉｒｔ　ｃａｍｅ　ｕｐ　ｔｏ　ｓ　ｉｆ　Ｉ　ｗａｓ　ｏｋ．　Ｉ　ｓａｉｄ　ｙｅｓ，　ａｎｄ　ｗｈｅｎ　ｈｅ　ａｓｋｅｄ　ｗｈｅｒｅ　Ｉ　ｗａｓ　ｇｏｉｎｇ　Ｉ　ｔｏｌｄ　ｈｉｍ　ａｎｄ　ｈｅ　ｌｅｄ　ｍｅ　ｔｏ　ａｎｏｔｈｅｒ　ｉｎｆｏｒｍａｔｉｏｎ　ｍａｃｈｉｎｅ　ｔｈａｔ　ｄｉｄｎ＇ｔ　ｈａｖｅ　ａ　ｑｕｅｕｅ．　Ｓｐｅｃｉａｌ　ｔｒｅａｔｍｅｎｔ　ｉｎｄｅｅｄ，　ａｎｄ　ｉｔ　ｃｏｎｔｉｎｕｅｄ　ａｓ　ｈｅ　ｎｏｔ　ｏｎｌｙ　ｔｏｏｋ　ｍｅ　ｔｏ　ｔｈｅ　ｒｉｇｈｔ　ｐｌａｔｆｏｒｍ，　ｂｕｔ　ｈｅｌｐｅｄ　ｍｅ　ｂｕｙ　ａ　ｔｉｃｋｅｔ　ｔｏｏ．　Ｉwas torn between feeling grateful that he was helping, pleased that my Chinese was allowing me to have a basic conversation with him, and also disappointed that I *wasn't* doing it myself....so much for independence. Anyway, a couple of times (at the ticket machine and again on the platform) I said thank you and kind of waited for him to leave. He didn't.
It also struck me as odd that he didn't have a pass to get through the barriers - when we came to one he just squeezed in to the turnstile behind me. I　ｓｔａｒｔｅｄ　ｔｏ　ｗｏｒｒｙ　ｔｈａｔ　ｈｅ　ｗａｓ　ｊｕｓｔ　ｓｏｍｅ　ｎｕｔｔｅｒ　ａｎｄ　ｎｏｔ　ａ　ｓｔａｔｉｏｎ　ｅｍｐｌｏｙｅｅ　ａｆｔｅｒ　ａｌｌ，　ｂｕｔ,　ｔｙｐｉｃａｌｌｙ　Ｂｒｉｔｉｓｈ，　ｄｉｄｎ＇ｔ　ｆｅｅｌ　ｌｉｋｅ　ｔｈｅｒｅ　ｗａｓ　ｍｕｃｈ　Ｉ　ｃｏｕｌｄ　ｄｏ　ｗｉｔｈｏｕｔ　ｌｏｏｋｉｎｇ　ｒｕｄｅ．　

Anyway, this guy then got on the train with me, and when we got to my station, accompanied me out and tried to hold my hand！ Obviously at this point I thought it was a little freaky so firmly but pｏlitely said thank you and goodbye, and then came the kicker. He asked for money. Funnily enough, we'd been speaking in Chinese up to this point, but he asked for money in English. I only had about 8 kwai in change and wasn't going to give him a hundred, so he made me go and buy a drink so I could get change! By this time, I was pretty angry, not only becuase I felt threatened but also because I haven't asked him for any help, let alone so much, and he didn't even try to carry my bags for me!　Ｉｆ　Ｉ　ｋｎｅｗ　Ｉ＇ｄ　ｈａｖｅ　ｔｏ　ｐａｙ　ｈｉｍ　（ａｎｄ　ｔｈａｔ　ｈｅ　ｈａｄ　ａ　ｍｉｎｉｍｕｍ　ｃｈａｒｇｅ）　Ｉ　ｗｏｕｌｄ　ｈａｖｅ　ａｔ　ｌｅａｓｔ　ｗａｎｔｅｄ　ｍｙ　ｂａｇ　ｃａｒｒｉｅｄ！

Ａｓ　ｈｅ　ｗａｓ　ｌｏｏｋｉｎｇ　ａｔ　ｔｈｅ　２０　ｋｗａｉ　ｔｈａｔ　Ｉ　ｇａｖｅ　ｈｉｍ，　Ｉ　ｌｅｇｇｅｄ　ｉｔ！

Ｏｋａｙ，　ｔｈｅ　ｔｉｐ　ａｎｄ　ｔｈｅ　ｔｒａｉｎ　ｆａｒｅ　ｗｅｒｅ　ｓｔｉｌｌ　ｃｈｅａｐｅｒ　ｔｈａｎ　ａ　ｔａｘｉ　ｂｕｔ　ｔｈａｔ＇ｓ　ｎｏｔ　ｒｅａｌｌｙ　ｔｈｅ　ｐｏｉｎｔ！　

Ｗｅｌｃｏｍｅ　ｔｏ　Ｓｈａｎｇｈａｉ！　

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