十連勝

上週末晚上過大海，九時半抵永x，直到早上七點半才離開賭枱，玩足十小時，沒有觀光。

我往澳門目的只有一個，是賭錢。但不是一般的賭，是想在賭抬上求證，能否以壹佰圓贏十萬塊。道理很簡單，以壹佰元下注，勝了連本​​帶利押下去，連勝十回，便有十萬。這是我所說的十連勝。

最快的方法是玩押骰寶，俗稱買大小。不過澳門賭場大細枱一般是五百元，最細銀碼的抬也要三百。能容許買大小每注下一百元的，我想只有輪盤。輪盤的大細雙單最低注碼是一百，只在永x才有。

目標既定，隨後便是執行。我拿本金二千元，每次下一百塊，勝了就本利全押出去，直到本金用完。不過這策略在當晚很快就行不通，因為很快便負了二千一百元。

我不得不改變策略，利用寫下的紀錄來碰運，我買點數奇準，整晚中了不下十次，包括大小全吃的‘０’號，一賠三十五。我買 '０’號 是全抬只是我的一個單註，已沒有其他客人，就是一注中的。幾位荷官都問我是不是真的有方法計出結果，我說沒有，只不過我不計算便不懂下注。我單是玩十連勝一開始便輸了二千多元，全靠買點數羸回來。我每次下一至兩個籌碼，所以要計—輪才能下注。到後期我已賺回籌碼，最高勝六仟多元。有了本錢，氣勢就好多了，從新再下十連勝，以我先前七八個小時的記錄為藍本作機械式下注，每次勝出疊加，只重次數，不理枱上註碼，效率奇高，只不過仍未能十連勝，但創有連續七連勝。 （當勝出第四連勝時，荷官便不接受超過壹千五百元的注碼）。我後來檢討過，如果不是因自己買點數和買大小有抵觸，當晚是有機會十連勝的。

大賭場如金沙，銀河，葡京等都好像沒有輪盤了，因為開輪盤的時間長，賺錢遠遜於大細。永x也從年前的五十元改為一百元。我比較喜歡永x，因為客人不會太多。

What you need to know about late check-in in China domestic airports

What you need to know about check-in in most China domestic airports when you are late.

If you are late for your flight, most airlines will help you do check-in as quickly as possible. However, this is not the case for China airlines, in particular the notorious China Southern Airlines (they can trick you because you are in the land that they play the “China Characteristic” services under their sovereignty).

Supposed you are late for just a couple of minutes, says, 40 minutes before your flight departure (45 minutes is their norm). You go to the check-in counter asking for check-in even though you don’t have baggage with you and you would not cause any delay to the flight.  The check-in staff will not issue any boarding pass to you. They will write down your details on a piece of paper and tell you take the paper to a particular counter for assistance. This is the trick -  they pose an expectation to the passenger that someone would help her/him get on board so the passenger would not stay in the check-in counter demanding boarding pass issued. When the passenger gets to that counter, she/he needs to queue up for services. This would use up quite a bit of their time. When it gets to their turn, she/he would not be served for the boarding, but would be offered their expensive “airport price” ticket for the next available flight.  In such a way, they eliminate your chance to get on board because they further delay your boarding time and also invalidate your original ticket. 

Good luck to those travel on China airlines.

您需要知道當你在中國內陸機場遲簽到（check-in）時可能會發生的事。

如果您在國外的機場晚簽到了一點，大多數航空公司都會幫助您盡快辦理登機手續。然而，在中國內地，中國的航空公司卻並非如此，尤其是臭名昭著的南方航空（他們可以玩弄你是因為你在「中國特色」的領土上）。

假設您只遲到了幾分鐘，例如航班起飛前 40 分鐘（45 分鐘是他們的標準）。即使您沒有攜帶行李，理应不會延誤航班。 但櫃檯職員不會給您發出登機證。他們會為您寫一張小紙，並告訴您將紙帶到特定櫃檯尋求協助。這就是技巧 - 他們製造錯覺令乘客以為職員安排其他人幫助她/他登機，這樣乘客就不會留在簽到櫃檯要求登機證。當乘客到達某特定櫃檯時，她/他需要排隊等候服務，這會佔用他們相當多的時間。當輪到他們時，櫃檯職員不是發出登機證，而是告訴他們可用「機場價格」購買下一班昂貴的即時機票。通過這種方式，他們延礙了您登機的機會，因為他們進一步延遲了您取得登機證，使您原來的機票失效。如果你是極度趕的話，那他們便順利以高價賣出一張剩餘機票 - 可能有助他們取得提成。

搭乘中國內陸航空公司的旅客，请留意。

客服

早前於3月24日，開業了34年的香港關鍵旅遊，突然全線結業，盡管其管理層透露種種不利原因令到該公司難以繼續經營，筆者覺得其經營方式才是其致命因由。

筆者對它的結業無半點惋惜，反覺得它是咎由自取。自2007年起，筆者國內遊都是參加關鍵，亦在旅遊途中認識了不少朋友。和筆者一樣，這些朋友都是環境不錯的退休人士。曾經有一次，單是我們這些朋友組成的團便有二十多人。我在2011年也參報它的長短線團近五次之多，其中長線團包括東北，九寨溝和雲南。當朋友陸續不用關鍵的時候，筆者依然樂於參與。其中一個重要原因是他們接受單人報團而不額外收費。

好像是從2010年起，關鍵強制所有參加它旅遊團的團員必定要買它的旅遊保險，和強制團員參與自費項目，假若團員不參加它的自費項目，領隊和導遊便會在旅程途中施以顏色。

其實一直以來，關鍵都是以低團費作招徠，這點無可厚非。但以關鍵的品牌和廣大客戶羣及客戶的忠誠度，它不用走這路線。為了以低團費吸引客人，旅程接待單位質素相對下降，使不少希望有質素的客戶摒棄。關鍵為增加收入，強制團員購買它的旅遊保險。那就是説即使個別團員已買了其它的旅行 保險也還是必需再與關鍵購買。購買保險原不過是為一個“萬一”，誰也不想在高高興興的旅遊期間發生意外。假若意外不幸發生，兩份保險也只能有一份的賠償。那為何已有還要為你關鍵再買一個？這明明是赤裸裸的掠奪，要客戶單純的付出。我多次和他們表示過希望他們考慮增加團費，如能保證質量，忠誠的客戶會願意接受，勝過左道旁門。當然這些建議不被接納。關鍵這種左道像有傳染性的，香港大小旅行社紛紛仿效，影響香港旅行社的口碑和商譽致巨。

我常出外旅遊，說到航空公司服務低劣，首推國內航空公司，特別是南航。比方客人因事晚點，它們不單不幫忙客人盡快辦登機手續，它們還故意拖延，做出各種偽善和假服務，視客人為被它們屠宰的傻佬。舉一個簡單的例子，當乘客遲了數分鐘辦登機手續, 即使那乘客沒攜行李，絕對不會延誤航班。他們首先就振振有詞的説客人誤點，不替客人辦登機證。然後用字條寫下乘客的資料，叫乘客拿字條往某一個櫃檯找幫忙。就這樣，辦登機部門便完成了不替乘客辦理登機的暗指令。當客人往到那個櫃檯找幫忙時，希望能登上原本班機。但往往需要輪候一段時間，當輪候到時，那櫃檯職員不會替客人辦登機，而是向客人銷售昂貴的其它班次機場票。客人到此才知給航空公司耍弄，已經再沒有時間和登機部門理論。就這樣，航空公司廢了客人的票，要客人從新購買昂貴的機場票。即使客人不願意購買，航空公司也不會虧一分一毛。相反，國內航空公司晚點或誤點，它們會為它們的問題向客人賠償嗎？應該從未聽過吧。上例只是它們眾多“服務”的冰山一角，其它不勝枚舉。所以，非不得爾時，我是絕對不會乘國內航空公司，特別是南航。

有朝一日，假如南航結業，我不會為它惋惜，更會拍手稱興。

What A Shit!

For most people experienced in basic computer system building knowing that the most common functions for a system are to capture data, amend data, and delete data. Agree?

However, did you know there is a great organization, the largest of its kind in Hong Kong, their systems do not function this way. What they have is only data capture function, but short of amendment and deletion, not to mention the luxury of “insertion”.

What the F!! is this organisation?
It is HK Jockey Club’s mark six system.

Supposed you want to buy your lucky bet multiple times, say for 30 rounds (about 10 weeks as normally 3 runs a week), you then go to their system to enter your lucky numbers. So their wonderful system captures your bet happily and things also go happily especially you did not win. However in the middle of your rounds, say round 10, you notice the captured numbers were not the ones you wanted (either you entered the numbers wrongly or the system captured the numbers wrongly – just do not rule out any possibility!) So you call up HKJC customer services and ask for an update. What you will get:

1. No! Our system does not allow update or delete. If you ask why, they will answer just “no” again.

2. If you ask for remedy, they will tell you to buy your bet again. [If you don’t have more money, congratulations and good for you, this saves you from indulging in gambling, but don’t cry if it turns out your desired numbers subsequently!]

3. If you think it is not fair and ask why not allowing update or delete, all casinos do as long as the subsequent rounds have not been started. They will say if amendment is allowed, it is violated the principle of multiple times because multiple times mean you want the numbers to run thru the multiple times. Oops! You can see the nice use of PRINCIPLE to cover up their inflexibility of their system.

There are more non-senses …..

Many users find their user interface (UI) extremely unfriendly. For example, they have a function called “drawn number checking 核對中獎號碼”. I would expect this were to give you the prize amount when you enter your numbers (as it is obvious that a lot of people would have checked whether or not they win). But interestingly, it is to show you the match results in the past 60 days. See the diagram below




I just wonder how many people have the intelligence to understand the function and how many will use it.

Anyway, it is a monopoly. Even they give you shit you will still bet.