Taxi! HK strife hits cabbies hard
Print Edition
Amid the continued unrest and chaos caused by rioters in Hong Kong, a veteran taxi driver decided to keep recording the turmoil and showing it to his relatives and friends.
For weeks, Chow Chin-to has been recording his surroundings wherever he traveled across Hong Kong, taking pictures or shooting videos of a scarred Hong Kong society marred by uncertainty and split.
“The other day I was at the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal and I could barely see tourists there,” said Chow, who then shot a video of the almost empty hall and uploaded it.
The sharp drop in tourist number has affected many industries here, including the taxi industry. According to Chow, in the past two months, the daily income of him and other taxi drivers has dropped by about 40 percent.
Chow recalled the illegal “Occupy Central” incident in 2014, saying its devastating impact on Hong Kong’s economy and social order has left a deep impression on him.
“However, what is happening now is far worse because the violence is worse,” said Chow.
He added that many taxi drivers have decided to stop work because “they are afraid of getting into trouble.”
“I have seen twice that cars were smashed in the streets,” Chow added.
Nowadays, when he sees black-clad and helmet-wearing people hailing a taxi, Chow usually ignores them.
“Those are protesters,” said Chow. “Occasionally, when you pick up protesters, you have to keep absolutely quiet so that there will not be a clash.”
It was not without reason why Chow was careful when dealing with protesters.
During the illegal “Occupy Central” incident in 2014, Chow became a target of bullying and threats after volunteering to clear barricades set up by protesters at Mong Kok.
“The personal information about me and my family was disclosed online and I soon started receiving harassing phone calls threatening the safety of my family,” he said.
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