Some people woke yesterday to find their dreams of a day off dashed by the lowering of the typhoon signal 8. Instead, they joined long queues at bus stops. Others got up early to make sure they were ready when the signal was lowered.
Tuen Mun factory worker Fanny Lee, 50, said residents dashed out of her building to head for work within minutes of the signal being lowered at 8.15am.
'The crowd was huge,' she said. 'I waited more than half an hour before the line [at the bus stop] got down to about 20 people.
'It is a pity I have lost today as a day off.'
Jason Lam, a 24-year-old trader, said he started the day in an anxious mood - he only knew the signal had been lowered when his mother called him at 9am.
'The Observatory is always being hesitant,' Mr Lam said. 'I was in such a big rush until I knew my boss had given us a two-hour allowance. But there are only a few buses going from Tuen Mun to Lai Chi Kok. I only got near the front of the queue after a 30-minute wait.'
At the Kowloon MTR station the crowd was more relaxed.
