Trying to be a Shoupiaoyuan: Day 1

I woke up this morning with the intention of getting a job as a Shoupiaoyuan or a ticket seller on a bus. Since my first time in Beijing I have been extremely interested in the bus system here in Beijing. It seems an incredibly complicated mess, but after you start using it it becomes more and more familiar and easy to use. I want to become a ticket seller because of their culture, and the bus culture here in Beijing. I know in an earlier post I wrote about the bus culture, and it never ceases to interest me. Every time I ride the bus I get a little more curious and interested in it all.

So I left this morning off in search of my dream job (for the time being at least). I headed first to the headquarters or dispatch. Rode the 1 line straight west to the terminus and found the headquarters. The guard wouldn't let me in. He said that this isn't the place where you apply to become a ticket seller, go over there to the station for line 1 (there are offices at the terminal stations) and they could help me get in. I went over to the entrance to the station and the guard and a volunteer stopped me to ask me what I was doing. I said I was going to apply for a job as a ticket seller. 

Guard: "Are you a Beijing citizen?" 

Me: "I'm from out of town." 

Volunteer: "From Xinjiang?" (a province in Western China)

Me: "More or less."

The guard seemed interested and decided to take me over to the office. We went into one room and the guard said that I wanted to apply for a job. We were directed upstairs to the offices of the head of the line. There was a meeting going on, but one guy came out and we went and sat down. While another was taking pictures of me, I explained to the man named Wang my interests in becoming a ticket seller.  

Par for my expectations he thought of several things that contradicted the fact that five people told me I could apply for a job here. He said, we don't take applications here. I said where do I go to apply, a lot of people told me I can just go to the end station and apply. Then he said you need a Beijing hukou (citizenship). I hinted that it probably wouldn't matter and I could just do it on a day to day basis. He said that that's not how it worked here, you have to study to do this. I said, I know there's a three month internship period. He then said there's a school they have to go to too (I had never heard of that, there's probably a class or two, but no school). I said, I would go to the class if it meant I could be a ticket seller, then asked where the school was located. He said, it's far away--in the suburbs. I pressed on trying to figure out where it was. He left for a bit then came back and said they're "not hiring right now anyway." I said that's Ok and pressed on about the school. He gave me the service hotline to call for information. I thanked him for that and as we were wrapping up, he asked for my phone number so if anything were to come up he could get in touch with me; I had gotten out a business card when he left the room for a second and when he said that I said, here take this and if there is an opportunity please let me know. Thanked him again and apologized about keeping him from his meeting.

Tried the hotline, no answer. After lunch I headed on to a new bus line to try again. I chose 801 and headed to their terminal station. When I got there I went into the station asking for the head of the line. They said he wasn't in, but asked what business I had. I said I wanted to become a ticket seller. Unfortunately here I was basically laughed out of the station. They basically asked each other if I was able to. I said it probably won't be a problem, I'm just from out of town. "Out of town? You're a foreigner!" I really want to be a ticket seller, I argued. They said to call the hotline and ask where I can go. They don't hire people here anyway, but wanted to see me succeed.

So I left their station and tried the hotline again, got through but couldn't hear well outside, so didn't get the new number to call about becoming a ticket seller. When I got back home, after riding the bus back, I called again and got through. The woman gave me a new number to try, I dialed it and got through to the headquarters/dispatch.

Me: "I'm interested in becoming a ticket seller, where do I go to apply?"

Woman: skeptically "Do you have a Beijing hukou?"

Me: "Yes." blatant lie.

Woman: "Well... if you do have one... bring your high school diploma, personal identity card, along with the hukou and a photo and go to Dongzhimen -(and then I didn't understand the next part)."

Me: "Dongzhimen where?"

Woman: "Dongzhimenwai -- - - - -." (Again I didn't understand.)

Me: "Ok thank you!" (She was starting to see through the gig when I didn't know what place she was speaking of...)

So I headed out to Dongzhimen. Got stuck in traffic on the way to the subway, finally made it to a place that looked profitable. Just outside of Dongzhimen Subway station was a very large bus station with countless lines inside; I proceeded to ask around. All the guards said there was no office here. I said, but all terminal stations have a head person. "No offices here." So I started asking ticket sellers there where I could go to apply. Got a couple various responses. I found one man who said go into the center, there are offices there and you can apply. So I worked my way in along the way he had pointed. Next to one stop was a guard, instead of asking if there was an office, I told him I was heading to the offices in the center to apply. He said, "to apply? offices?" I want to be a ticket seller and I was told there's a place to apply here. "I'm really not sure, I'm new here." He looked like he was 16. I said, head over to that office there and tell them an out-of-towner is looking for a job as a ticket seller, don't say I am a foreigner, just tell them I want to discuss applying. He caved after a little bit more explanation and then went to ask. He came back and told me the head of the station had gone home already. It was after 6, so it was expected. I said I'd come back the next day.

On leaving I asked another group of ticket sellers about where I can go to apply to be a ticket seller. Again, the normal, "Can foreigners become a ticket seller?" I said my usual, "It shouldn't be a problem, I'm just from out of town." One of them directed me to ride 823 to Sancun'r to apply. 

So day one complete, no real prospects, but I think there's still hope. Most people seemed to be interested by the idea. I think if I keep trying around eventually I'll find the way in. It seems that everyone is really worried about letting a foreigner sell tickets on a bus. And letting a non Beijing resident sell tickets on a bus. I'll have to keep trying, I really do want to be able to do it. If nothing else, it'd be good publicity for them. Though public transportation doesn't get advertised, it'd be interesting to get on a bus with a foreigner selling tickets and calling out the stations. I haven't lost hope yet, it's only day one.