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I have a friend who keeps inviting me to see his band play in Beijing. He must have asked me at least four times now. "What time are you on stage?" I ask, quickly adding, "If it's not before 11 pm, forget it - I don't want to miss the last train."
I'm a slave to public transportation. I've never liked using taxis, so buses and the subway are my main conveyance in the city. However, Beijing Subway runs only until 11:45 pm, including weekends, while night buses cover just a few routes. It's the same in Shanghai, although I can't say I've ever seen a bus after 11 pm whenever I've visited.
This means my nights out tend to end sharply, with me making a mad dash for the nearest subway station before it closes.
To make matters worse, station security workers often try to turn me away late at night, even when I know trains are still running. On one occasion, a train filled with passengers pulled up moments after a yawning teenager in an ill-fitting uniform had told with me the last one had gone.
Compared with aging underground systems in London and New York City, those in Beijing and Shanghai are a dream: clean, spacious, and on time. Yet in terms of convenience, the two cities are still playing catch up.
London Underground became the latest to offer 24-hour services last month, joining New York City, Berlin and Copenhagen. Services will run every 10 to 20 minutes on Fridays and Saturdays, initially on the Central and Victoria lines.
Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, says the move will "unlock the full potential of London's nighttime economy", which according to research by London First, a nonprofit business organization, is already worth 26 billion pounds ($33.9 billion) and creates work for 723,000 people.
The economy is largely driven by bars, clubs and restaurants, but the city has set up a commission to look into how it can be diversified.
Naturally, there are cost implications, and I can't imagine many employees would be overjoyed with a graveyard shift, but going 24-hour seems a natural step for international megacities like Beijing and Shanghai.
Unfortunately, for the time being, I'm unlikely to get my wish, according to Yang Ling, a spokeswoman for Beijing MTR Corp Ltd, which manages several lines on the Beijing network.
"It's not feasible for Beijing Subway to run 24 hours," she tells me. "To ensure security ... we need to perform daily checks on carriages, circuit lines, contact rails, junctions and other devices. Most of these checks are done from 12 am until 4 am, when the metro is not running. That four-hour window is already very tight."
Oh well. Guess it's an early night for me again.
Contact the writer at craig@chinadaily.com.cn
