This is my Octopus card. I think that it is the thing that I love most in Hong Kong.This electronic pass card allows me to ride the MTR trains. I can use it on both the green minibuses and the doubledecker buses. I can use it to take one of Hong Kong's many ferries. It also gets me on Hong Kong's tram.
Every time I swipe it, not only does this card know exactly how much to deduct, it dislpays how much I have left on my card. In fact, my Octopus card even lets me run a deficit of a couple of bucks. Nice.
If I drove a car in Hong Kong, I could use the card to to pay the parking meters.
But wait, it gets better. I can also use my Octopus card in both 7-Eleven and Park-N-Shop. No cash? No problem. Grab a Coke Lite with lemon, swipe, ding, and I'm good to go. Nice.
Even the guy in the Mr. Softee ice cream truck accepts the Octopus card.
Nice.
-Jack
I love my Octopus card and I am still in the US. Visited last week for school tours and apartment hunting. Also works at Starbucks!! Glad to hear it works at Mobile Softee.
ReplyDeleteFYI - the company refers to the sound while swiping as "dood." The colorful design is made up from the original colors of the cards: orange for adult, pink for kids, green for seniors. We use ours most at McD and parking lots. You can even register for the "Octopus Rewards" program where you earn a fraction of your expenses at participating merchants, like McD and Wellcome Supermarket, eventually earning enough for free ice cream or the like.
ReplyDeleteJack...just catching up on the news from the VanNoord family, and read this post. The Octopus card reminds me of the ease of an IPass, and yet, I distinctly recall a time when you refused to get an IPass. Have things changed? :)
ReplyDeletePraying for you guys and Julie, and her parents. love you all!
-betsy the boarder