According to Simon; both Phil and an amusing HK blogger called SF are being harassed to the point of mental breakdown by the newly enforced ranks of pamphlet distributors in Hong Kong.
As I wrote in a comment on Phil’s blog, in order to get past their veritable phalanx of nuisance you have to learn my favourite trick - the ‘buddy system’. Perfected when I used to have to walk down Nathan Road to get to my Saturday/Sunday job.
Simply speaking you pick out one person from the bundle of people you’re walking with (a given in Central or Kowloon) and stick behind them, using them as ablative armour - a pamphlet human shield.
When they get stuck with a leaflet, drift out from their slipstream and shadow the next person along. Eventually through the hail of promotional material you’ll probably emerge with at least one or two of your pamphlet-fodder buddies intact and you won’t have had to stop walking.
It also makes for a fun diversionary game for those who remain as immature as I.
I am however in good company; my father always enjoyed ‘racing’ a fellow cab-catcher by working out who was in an equivalent position to him in the taxi rank opposite and hoping to get into a cab before them.
Victories won in these tiny games help enliven almost any day and can leave you unashamedly pleased with yourself. Something, as it has long been asserted, which a Swaine male has little problem with.
Later
John
Posted by John Swaine at January 25, 2005 04:16 PM