Since it was a Friday night, I figured the chance of catching a taxi quickly from Central would be highly unlikely. Quickly from the airport should be possible since there’s always a constant stream of red taxis (the ones that go to HK Island) coming through.

I was partially correct.

Regardless of making an early transport decision, a barge ensured that all those flying in from about 7.30pm to 11pm had the same limited options. 

There was to be no Airport Express for anyone.

The HK Airport is located on the largest island of HK, Lantau. It links to HK Island by bridge via the New Territories. Tsing Ma Bridge is the largest suspension bridge in the world that carries both cars (six lanes) on the top and rail underneath. It even has two additional sheltered carriageways underneath which is used for traffic during typhoons, when the top is closed, and for maintenance access.

The only other way to get to HK Island from Lantau is via ferry. To do this from the airport, catch a bus to Discovery Bay and ferry from there to Central. It’s possible to also catch a blue taxi to Mui Wo and do the same thing but with only 50 blue taxis on the whole of Lantau Island, catching one from the airport is a test in patience that is really not worth it if the intention is to finally reach Central. The ferries from Mui Wo are also not as regular as the Discovery Bay ones and are slower.

For a few hours on Friday night, this became the only means to reach Central from the airport.

A barge had hit Tsing Ma Bridge and as a safety precaution, the Bridge was closed for testing. Apparently the barge breached height limits.

The first that those arriving into HK realised something wasn’t quite right was seeing the Airport Express gates down. I thought it was odd but wasn’t particularly concerned since I’d already decided on a taxi. This was the first time I even realised there were gates.

I walked further down and saw that the ‘minutes to the next train’ sign wasn’t showing anything. This was also odd.

Crowds were starting to form.

I realised something was wrong as I approached the taxi queue and saw an inordinate number of people heading in the same direction. Reaching the bottom of the ramp before heading outside to the queue, I saw an even longer queue snaking inside and around toward Terminal 2. A distance of about 400 metres. 

I hoped that was not the queue for me.

There was someone wearing black pants and a white shirt that seemed to be holding people back and directing them. I figured he was either someone in authority or a waiter in the wrong location. I asked if it was the queue for the red taxis. To my dismay, he replied, “yes”. I asked why the queue was like this. He replied “because there weren’t enough taxis for as many people as needed them”. I asked a silly question… In my almost nine years in HK, I should have known better than to phrase my question like that, but I was tired.

I started laughing as I walked the length of the queue, searching for the end, not believing how long it really was as I entered Terminal 2. Half way to the car park, I joined. I was one of the lucky ones. I had nowhere else that I was in a rush to be, aside from home, this wasn’t my introduction to HK or the start of a holiday, and I was child-free. All I could do was observe and wonder what’s happened to have the transport situation be this bad. 

There were no announcements for the first hour or so. 

Over that time, the queue grew to reach the doors outside toward the carpark.

The queue inched forward.

I had been chatting with the people in front and behind me who spoke Cantonese and found out what had actually happened as none of the English websites had anything published for quite some time. The MTR site, the Airport Express site, the South China Morning Post site and the HK Airport site remained oblivious to the transport disaster and barge accident. 

As I neared the front area, the part where I would finally be outside and where the queue would normally begin, scuffles started breaking out. People were angry at not being told anything, there were some queue jumpers (partly because giving the job to one guy in black pants and a white shirt is not going to be enough) and people were tired. They could have flown in from anywhere and have been on flights for any length of time.

The airport people started bringing out the barrier tape to guide the queue. Good idea though a little late.

Finally I was outside.

The Bridge opened two hours after it closed.

One taxi driver tried asking for extra cash, passengers accused him of extortion and called the police. Some Lantau people have a taxi driver they regularly call, one did just that, he pulled up, the passengers jumped the queue and a riot almost ensued. People yelled, people photographed, people videoed as the passengers hung their heads and attempted to hide behind their hair. 

Chatting with my taxi driver, he said it took over an hour to come back from HK to the airport due to the bridge closing and the gridlock it created.

Three hours after my plane landed, I was finally home. 

Hard to believe in a major hub that this kind of thing can happen. They are building other transport links for Lantau to HK Island and some of these are being opposed. The cynic could think this whole incident was a ploy to reinforce the need for alternate transport options.

My learning however was slightly different.

If drinking anything on the plane and the flight is longer than three hours, go to the bathroom before leaving the airport terminal. 

* Thanks to the Red Hot Chilli Peppers for the title to this post.