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Beat the 2010 Expo queues: Rent an old person
As the lines at the Shanghai Expo continue to grow, people are finding creative ways around them. The newest plot: use a Shanghai elderly or handicapped person to get into the fast lane
The best 2010 Expo accessory? It just might be one of these two-wheeled line skippers.Shanghai summer heat is here, but for the most part it’s not slowing the flow of people into the 2010 Expo. With waits for some pavilions longer than actually hopping onto a plane and going there (yes, we’re thinking of you, Japan Pavilion, with your utterly cool robots) people are starting to look for ways to bypass the lines.
The newest ploy: renting a Shanghai elderly person.
Having an older (over 75 years old for most Expo pavilions) or handicapped person on your arm gets you a green light into the 2010 pavilion "green lanes," bypassing the hours of waiting online.
Far from exploiting elderly people, the brilliant old brains are often times running the scheme themselves, according to a Morning Post report. Chinese seniors -- and their walkers and wheelchairs -- are hanging out by the Expo entrance offering their assistance to those needed to get into Expo pavilions quickly, for a small fee of course.
The city might have planned for new industries to develop with the 2010 Expo, but this most likely isn't what they had in mind. However, at least here everyone wins -- you get into the Expo pavilions faster and seniors get a little pension boost.
Pavilions are catching on though according to a QQ article. At the Canadian Pavilion at least, all those going through with elderly or handicapped folk in the green lane have to be ready to answer personal questions about the person they're escorting, or it’ll be back to the regular lane for both of you.
