Another life quiz

Before you know it, it has come to the last weekend of March 2022, which means that this year, at a lightning speed, has passed a quarter.

Under Omicron's visit, many things in the city came to a standstill, or entered into another new "normal". At this moment, I think, I can also share a little test that I started to practice this month.

Since the "Octopus" was launched in 1997, its ease of use and efficiency of transaction processing have made Octopus quickly become the payment tool option for almost all Hong Kong people using public transport. A number of discounts, interchange discounts, two-way section fares, fare rebates, etc. are also only applicable to passengers who pay fares with Octopus, and even monthly passes are stored in the Octopus system. In 2019, the government launched the Transport Subsidy Scheme. Similarly, by recording the accumulated transport payment amount of an Octopus in the month, and then calculating the amount of "return water" that can be obtained, there is no incentive for more people to use methods other than Octopus to pay for transport. Tool fee.

In recent years, with the rapid development of electronic payment, tap credit cards and payment QR codes have emerged as the times require. While seizing the market of micropayment, it has also led to some discussions in Hong Kong on whether the Octopus technology is outdated. Different transport operators have also started adding packages one after another, allowing passengers to pay their fares through other electronic payment methods. It is said that the development of these electronic payment methods is to meet the needs of passengers who do not have an Octopus, but the passengers at Wufei Road are "zeroed out". In addition to the above-mentioned incentives for using Octopus, the Legislative Council Committee on Transport will decide in 2021. The document from the second half of the year pointed out that for the time being, only 0.5% of passengers use electronic payment methods other than Octopus to pay for their fares.

Although Octopus is very convenient to use and can also enjoy various discounts, its huge data platform allows the authorities to track the whereabouts of every citizen. The Hong Kong police, who have not yet become public security officers (or cockroaches), are using Octopus to solve crimes. During the anti-extradition protests in 2019, in order to avoid revealing that they had been at the protest site, many citizens would pay the fare with traditional cash on sensitive days, and deliberately leave some cash on the subway ticket machines. Let those in need buy tickets.

I transferred to a new job last year. Because I didn’t have to cross the sea, my transportation expenses were reduced compared to before. In addition, at the beginning of this year, the government raised the application threshold for transportation allowance from 200 yuan to the original 400 yuan. "Backwater" amount, only a few single digits are left. In addition, KMB finally expanded its electronic payment platform "edudu" to cover all routes in mid-February. With a single heart, I made a decision to try not to use Octopus at all this month. Pay the transportation fee.

The vehicle I choose is the Wirex Debit card, whichever is a foreign-registered financial institution. Compared with a credit card issued by a local bank, it will be more difficult for law enforcement authorities to obtain the personal information of the debit card holder. And the funds in this debit card have been fully supported by the interest obtained by doing stable currency lending in (the evil) CeFi, so it is also making full use of passive income. And each transaction can get a small amount of WXT rebate, which is better than nothing.

However, these electronic payment card machines sometimes fail to debit this debit card due to network problems, so I have tried several times to use a credit card from a local bank to successfully pay the fare. In the past 20 or so days, except for one day when I had to take a party-rail bus that still does not support electronic payment, and once the electronic payment card machine on the bus actually displayed a big word "Suspended Service" in white letters on a red background. Except for the helpless use of Octopus to pay the fare, the test was basically carried out smoothly. As for the party railway, which has not been used often in recent years, I have long been used to buying one-way tickets directly, and I am not too affected by this test.

However, due to Omicron's visit, the city has been artificially turned upside down, and the threshold of transportation allowance will be lowered to 200 yuan again from May. At that time, the amount of "backwater" that can be obtained will be relatively attractive. Maybe then I have to throw myself into the arms of Octopus again.

At this point in the end of March, the "Vaccine Pass" has been implemented in Hong Kong for a month without realizing it, and the government has also decided that three doses of the vaccine are required before the end of May before entering the relevant premises, which is more than originally planned. The plan is a month earlier.

At this moment, I have not been diagnosed with Wufei (it may be that I have been hit without knowing it), and I have not gone to Jinshi. Although I am used to having a "picnic" on the street and let my hair grow longer, to a certain extent, over the past few months, the city has been turned upside down and life has come to a standstill. The reason for the next month in this city. When social activities gradually resume with the cessation of the epidemic, and when there is an inevitable moment, it will be the time when you will finally accept your destiny.