Ha? Double Ha?

I have to say this sign gave me a start when I first read it. What, I could no longer add money to my Octopus card at Mui Wo ferry pier? That would be quite inconvenient. Then I read it again, and then, still confused, I finally read the Chinese characters, which state quite clearly: When adding money to your Octopus or monthly card, don’t hand the card over to ferry pier staff while [the card is] still in the wallet. Thank you for your co-operation.

Which is also, from a western linguistic point of view, still quite a clumsy way to express it, but seeing this is First Ferry who needs ten minutes every day to tell people  who have taken the ferry twice a day for 20 years not to occupy other people’s seats, I suppose it’s quite terse and to the point.

And this is just one of the many reasons why I encourage my students/victims and people in general: Learn Chinese characters! They really make life so much easier. I do regular two-hour crash courses in how to look up characters  in the dictionary (piece of cake, naturally) and how to write characters by hand and as text message. You’ll laugh! You’ll … laugh again! when you see how easy it is.