Beijing Subway Security Checks

[roddy]

Has anyone else ever seen anyone getting pulled up for carrying something forbidden when they do the bag X-rays at Beijing subway stations? I was coming through one station (forget which) recently when they found a knife in one woman's bag. It was all very amusing, the girl watching the monitor basically called out 'Oh, a knife' as if she'd just seen a magpie or something, and then the two security girls and the knife-carrying lady had a conversation about whether or not the knife was forbidden. Eventually she left it with them and they looked at each other in a 'so where does the knife go now?' kind of way.

At least it confirms they are actually paying attention. Those security checks just seem daft, given that you can basically just walk past them if you want (they're meant to check everyone, but if you ignore them it's very rare to get stopped. And I've got away with ignoring the guy stopping me too. No guns in your face here) and they just X-ray bags - if that woman had popped her knife into a pocket, no problem. Though they're probably more worried about flammable materials and the like.

[gougou]

I've never seen anybody being stopped, and I don't believe there's any points in the checks except employing a couple of people. Maybe next time I should take a knife, too, so they have something to write home about...

[roddy]

I'd originally assumed it was so they could employ all the ticket ladies (remember that? You had to buy a little blue ticket from one lady, and then give it to another lady five meters away. How stupid does that seem now?) but as far as I can see they've hidden all those ladies away in a room somewhere (maybe they bought them all taxis, I don't know) and employed lots of young and probably cheaper security guards. To be fair they're a bit more alert than your average 保安, but the whole thing still isn't taken seriously. I've had people tell me I only get away with it as I'm foreign, but you don't have to watch long to see Chinese people doing the exact same thing.

[gougou]

then give it to another lady five meters away. How stupid does that seem now?

Yes, very stupid. In our canteen, it's only one meter. Ah, German efficiency...

[Daan]

When I was in Beijing, I even saw some guards who were supposed to be watching the monitor enjoying a nice nap...

[imron]

I once came back from travelling and had a swiss army knife in my bag (which I always carry when travelling). They pulled me aside and said I had a knife in my bag and I said, it's a swiss army knife, it's not something I was going to use as a weapon, blah blah blah, and they let me through.

[luanova]

I usually carry a small box-cutter where ever I go because it's practical and can offer a little bit of self-defense when absolutely necessary. There's no metal-detector for people, so all you have to do is carry it in your pocket and you're free to bring it onto the subway.

My friend once had a pair of machetes in her belt, and no one noticed or cared (they were props for a performance)

[eatfastnoodle]

That's because there wasn't that many incidents of "security" nature. If something did happen and if it looks there is a good chance something more will happen in the future, you won't be so amused by Beijing's security arrangement. Also blanketing one or few city blocks with retired old ladies serving as sort of neighborhood watch was proven to be extremely effective in preventing crime and deterring criminals, much more effective than stationing ominous looking bulky armed guards on the street, because old ladies know strange faces that don't belong, and they recognize suspicious faces when they see them, never underestimate these old ladies' effectiveness, most of the times, the threat of being recognized and remembered is much more feared by potential trouble-makers than the presence of guns. As the old saying goes "作贼心虚", bad guys are more afraid of good guys that good guys realize. Too bad with the demise of old city block sort of neighborhood structure, it's more and more difficult to have these kind of gray hair crime preventers protecting us.

Edited February 9, 2010 at 09:14 PM by eatfastnoodle

[jbradfor]

My only experience with China's "security" was entering the Suzhou train station. They were x-raying everyone's bag, didn't see anyone skipping past. But everyone was tossing in their bags so quickly that I can't believe they could notice anything dangerous unless it jumped up and bit them in the nose. That, and they didn't make me remove my backpack (had my laptop and camera, wasn't letting that out of my possession!)

Too bad with the demise of old city block sort of neighborhood structure, it's more and more difficult to have these kind gray hair crime preventers protecting us.

Not to mentioned gossiping about your every action

remember that? You had to buy a little blue ticket from one lady, and then give it to another lady five meters away. How stupid does that seem now?

That's gone?? Sigh, another memory from Beijing gone.... Do they have machines now?

[yueni]

The security checks are actually taken quite seriously by the 地铁 management. The 保安 could actually lose their jobs if they are caught sleeping on the job or not chasing after people to put their bags through the screener. I forget what exactly they are looking for (I remember it was flammable objects and ... a couple other things).

I think it's a case of the upper levels thinking this is important for security, but the underlings just snoozing on it. As far as I can see (and I've not been on the 地铁 in a while), they tend to be stricter about putting bags in the X-rays in the busier stations, while the smaller or more far-flung stations are extremely relaxed about it.

[gerri]

Reminds me of last spring break, where I was travelling quite a bit... had a knife with me in the backpack... Entering a train station, they noticed it on the x-ray and had a little discussion about it, but decided to let the laowai pass anyways rather than go through the trouble of bothering me...

Does anyone actually know the knife-carrying laws of China, though? The knife I usually carry would land me in jail in the UK, for example (and I don't think it's so bad, but then again, I haven't experienced the knife-stabbing streak the UK had...)

[roddy]

The security checks are actually taken quite seriously by the 地铁 management. The 保安 could actually lose their jobs if they are caught sleeping on the job or not chasing after people to put their bags through the screener.

I don't know - it's so easy to walk past that they certainly don't seem scared of losing their jobs. If management were really taking it seriously they'd be making sure that wasn't happening - saying 'We'll fire you if you aren't careful' and then sitting in their offices drinking tea isn't taking it seriously in my book.

they tend to be stricter about putting bags in the X-rays in the busier stations, while the smaller or more far-flung stations are extremely relaxed about it.

I find that it's quite different at the same station, depending on traffic levels. If there are a lot of people and a queue for the machine forms they're a lot more vigilant. If people are just coming in in ones and twos they're likely to be slacking off.

[joshuawbb]

All the coach stations here in Xiamen have those checks too. The guards I've seen in the past have normally paid good attention, though there have been a few times when the scanners were unstaffed.

My girlfriend just returned home for Spring Festival, and the guard was quite strict in the station when we carried her bags through. Of course we've always just put our bags through and had no problem, but one fellow who thought he'd cut the queue got an earful from the guard, who forced him back to put his bag through.

Back in Shenzhen several months ago I was never scanned when travelling on the Metro, to my memory they just had a list of prohibited items.