Overloaded passengers head for a train at Tai Wai station. Photo: Edward Wong
Source:
https://scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1861232/hong-kong-musicians-urged-join-mtr-protest-after-cello Law and Crime
Hong Kong musicians urged to join MTR protest after cello player stopped for carrying 'oversized' instrument
Protest planned at Tai Wai station after student carrying large instrument is 'interrogated' by rail staff and threatened with HK$2,000 fine
MTR staff move in and prevent a man carrying an oversized item from entering Sheung Shui station yesterday. Photo: Edward Wong
Hong Kong's musicians are up in arms after a university student said he was threatened with a HK$2,000 fine after being followed by plain-clothes MTR staff and interrogated for carrying a cello on the East Rail Line.
The railway operator is sticking to its guns that extra-large musical instruments will be treated as oversized baggage, but denied using plain-clothes staff to enforce the rules.
More than 1,000 people have signed up to take part in a Facebook event, "Let's bring our musical instruments to take MTR", on October 3.
When asked about the criticism, MTR chairman-designate Frederick Ma Si-hang said: "There is a lot of PR work to be done, above and below."
Calvin Ho Ka-yeung, a year four music student at Baptist University, said he was tailed yesterday evening by MTR staff who were not in uniform when he boarded a train at Tai Wai station. When he arrived at the next station, Kowloon Tong, uniformed staff were waiting on the platform to confront him.
"They measured the cello case which they said exceeded the official length limit of 130cm by 4cm," he said. "But then a woman came to my rescue and challenged them for double standards as there were passengers with large carry-ons in the train.
"So they took me to a small room and brought in a senior officer who issued me a warning letter, which said further violation would result in prosecution and a fine of up to HK$2,000."
Ho offered to pay an extra fare for the cello, but the staff refused. After half an hour he was escorted to a station exit. When he asked how he could get to Kowloon Bay for a rehearsal, staff said they were not obliged to offer advice.
Ho ended up taking the MTR again, risking a second warning, but chose another entrance and boarded the Kwun Tong Line without a problem.
It was the third such incident in a week. Last week a schoolgirl carrying a guzheng, or Chinese zither, was also stopped at Tai Wai station. A few days later, a student with his cello was refused entry at Hung Hom station.
Mavis Lung, a Chinese percussion teacher who launched the Facebook protest, called for music lovers to join her in boarding a train at Tai Wai station.
"We strongly oppose the selective enforcement of bylaws by the MTR ... [parallel] goods traders have been allowed to travel with washing machines or other oversized items," she wrote.
Additional reporting by Lai Ying-kit and Gloria Chan