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PSA: The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge
Friday, 13 December 2019 13:36This will hardly be useful in the big scheme of things, but, from now until 20-December-2019, AVOID coming to Macau via the HKZM Bridge.
My mom asked me to help her pick up 2 friends from Portugal. They don’t speak English nor Chinese. It was an eventful “adventure”
A supposed 40-minute ride turned into an almost 4-hour ride for me.
And before that, Hong Kong airport security is now so crazy, you can’t go into the airport without a boarding pass. I wasn’t able to reach my mom’s friends. They are the type to not immediately switch on their phones upon landing. I asked the security, “so how do I reach them to tell them which exit to go?”
Their answer? “Just keep on waiting”.
Anyway, that part was painful, but we’ll fast forward to finally having found them. Also took the public bus to the HKZMB port.
Got through more security, which was understandable,got tickets, got on bus.
From here, it was supposed to be a 40-minute ride to Macau.
However, due to the Establishment of the Macau SAR (Special Administrative Region) 20th Anniversary, and China President Xi is coming over in the next few days, security ridiculousness skyrocketed.
All vehicles had to stop midway at the man-made island for another security control. After queuing for a good 2 hours or so, we were forced to get out of the bus WITH baggage, go through the X-ray again and manual scan. I have a lanyard with my staff card and a bit of cash. They needed me to take everything out for them to see. Feel my eye roll.
Then was passport control. As a Macau resident, going between Hong Kong and Macau does not require a passport. They asked for my passport. I had no passport on me. They were not amused.
The lady got annoyed and asked “well, you are obviously a Macanese so you have a Portuguese passport!”
Well, she WAS right, but she annoyed me so much, I HAD to have the LAST LAUGH, so I answered “No. it’s Austrian.” And I wasn’t lying either.
Then when I got ready to get on my bus, the bus drove away. “Hey that was my bus” I said. The security there said “it’s full. Go on the next bus”. I looked at the next bus. “But it’s going to Zhuhai!” I complain.
He had an answer “the bus driver forgot to flip the sign. This is going to Macau.”
Ok... take your word for it.
Just before we reach Macau, the police stopped the car and 2 officers came into the bus and asked everyone to show their passports. Then they left and we went on.
Last hurdle. Another security check just before the immigration building. They scanned and saw something in the bag. An air-pressured spray can thing. “This can’t go through!” They said. I had had enough.
“This went through an airplane! What do you mean by that?”
“It was always the rules” the lady replies.
So I tried to ask what the rules are, and it’s for pressurised cans the volume limit is 300ml. I look at the can. It was 250ml. “So it’s ok?” I asked.
“Oh yes” she said. Then turned away.
WTF. So we packed up and left.
I had just returned to Macau this way a few weeks before and there was no such checkpoint last time.
I guess my mom’s friends are scarred for life and will never plan to Macau again.
My mom asked me to help her pick up 2 friends from Portugal. They don’t speak English nor Chinese. It was an eventful “adventure”
A supposed 40-minute ride turned into an almost 4-hour ride for me.
And before that, Hong Kong airport security is now so crazy, you can’t go into the airport without a boarding pass. I wasn’t able to reach my mom’s friends. They are the type to not immediately switch on their phones upon landing. I asked the security, “so how do I reach them to tell them which exit to go?”
Their answer? “Just keep on waiting”.
Anyway, that part was painful, but we’ll fast forward to finally having found them. Also took the public bus to the HKZMB port.
Got through more security, which was understandable,got tickets, got on bus.
From here, it was supposed to be a 40-minute ride to Macau.
However, due to the Establishment of the Macau SAR (Special Administrative Region) 20th Anniversary, and China President Xi is coming over in the next few days, security ridiculousness skyrocketed.
All vehicles had to stop midway at the man-made island for another security control. After queuing for a good 2 hours or so, we were forced to get out of the bus WITH baggage, go through the X-ray again and manual scan. I have a lanyard with my staff card and a bit of cash. They needed me to take everything out for them to see. Feel my eye roll.
Then was passport control. As a Macau resident, going between Hong Kong and Macau does not require a passport. They asked for my passport. I had no passport on me. They were not amused.
The lady got annoyed and asked “well, you are obviously a Macanese so you have a Portuguese passport!”
Well, she WAS right, but she annoyed me so much, I HAD to have the LAST LAUGH, so I answered “No. it’s Austrian.” And I wasn’t lying either.
Then when I got ready to get on my bus, the bus drove away. “Hey that was my bus” I said. The security there said “it’s full. Go on the next bus”. I looked at the next bus. “But it’s going to Zhuhai!” I complain.
He had an answer “the bus driver forgot to flip the sign. This is going to Macau.”
Ok... take your word for it.
Just before we reach Macau, the police stopped the car and 2 officers came into the bus and asked everyone to show their passports. Then they left and we went on.
Last hurdle. Another security check just before the immigration building. They scanned and saw something in the bag. An air-pressured spray can thing. “This can’t go through!” They said. I had had enough.
“This went through an airplane! What do you mean by that?”
“It was always the rules” the lady replies.
So I tried to ask what the rules are, and it’s for pressurised cans the volume limit is 300ml. I look at the can. It was 250ml. “So it’s ok?” I asked.
“Oh yes” she said. Then turned away.
WTF. So we packed up and left.
I had just returned to Macau this way a few weeks before and there was no such checkpoint last time.
I guess my mom’s friends are scarred for life and will never plan to Macau again.
