In line for a long wait at the Expo

• Source: Global Times
• [10:56 June 18 2010]
• Comments

By Zachary Franklin

I find the practice of having to queue at the World Expo somewhat hypocritical, considering that the event purports to help answer questions about complex global problems such as urbanization, environmental threats and energy efficiency. Yet no one has the presence of mind to effectively tackle the issue of long lines.

A national pavilion can showcase 4D technology, solve global warming and develop zero carbon footprint cities, yet in the city of the future, am I still going to have to line up for things?

With around 500,000 visitors, it's going to be a long day at the Expo Park. It's not just that walking involves ducking under umbrellas, weaving through families and couples with strollers or wheelchairs, and generally being unable to get from point A to point B without zigzagging through the crowd. But the lines and crowds take one's focus away from the Expo pavilions. Everything becomes gauged in terms of time spent. How long will it take to get from the Americas zone to the Asia zone? How long is the wait for the Brazil or Finland pavilions?

As the attendance creeps up, the queues swell outside the US, UK and Japan pavilions. A dozen other pavilions begin having wait times of at least two hours.

Tickets disappear for the China Pavilion, as well as the Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao pavilions. The line for the Saudi Arabia Pavilion hits the nine-hour mark. That's a long time to wait for a national pavilion.

I recognize it might be the only opportunity one has to see the world's largest IMAX screen. That might be worth standing in line for an entire workday, but it isn't like they're screening Avatar.

Even more bothersome is that many of the mid-sized pavilions, such as those of Denmark and Sweden, only take 15 to 20 minutes to walk through, yet still have lines on crowded days. Indonesia, Canada, even France and Russia, despite their large exteriors, are also relatively quick walkthroughs.

Part of the reason has to do with design. Starting five floors up, visitors circle their way down the France Pavilion, looking at images and pictures. The Russia Pavilion never really gives visitors a chance to stop walking, as people follow a path through an oversized forest of trees, all seemingly painted in DayGlo colors.

Is waiting more than an hour for a 15-minute exhibit a good trade-off? Japan and the US at least keep visitors inside for about 60 minutes.

That sounds a little better, but the reality is that one still has to wait to get in. Once inside, depending on your own expectations, there is no guarantee that one will be happy. Standing outside for more than three hours only to get a Japanese history lesson once inside can be a major letdown.