A recent post on social media revealed that a female passenger was automatically designated to share a soft-sleeper compartment on an overnight train with three male passengers she did not know. As the only woman in the closed compartment, the woman felt very uneasy and later managed to switch berths with a man in another compartment.

She suggested railway ticketing systems be improved to prevent embarrassments such as three men and one woman, or vice versa, being confined to a small room. The post has since sparked heated discussions online.

Both hard and soft sleepers are available on Chinese trains for long-distance journeys. The former, with six berths, are more popular among budget travelers given lower ticket prices; the latter, with four berths and doors that close, are intended to offer more privacy and a more comfortable environment.

Yao Yu (The Beijing News): Under the current system, as long as passengers can manage to persuade others to trade places with them, they are free to do so. In reality, this is the most effective method of navigating these kinds of awkward situations and it's what most people do.

Actually, online ticketing systems have already seen some improvements. When plenty of tickets are available, the system automatically allocates bottom bunks to passengers over 60. More improvements should be made to these systems to improve passengers' travel experience.

Zou Wenjing (www.rednet.cn): In this case, it wasn't just only the woman who felt uneasy. The three men also felt uncomfortable sharing the compartment with a woman overnight. Most people would find this situation awkward.

Railway authorities should not turn a blind eye to these requests, but the main issue is how to cover the extra expense of offering same-sex compartments. The simplest answer is to ask passengers who require them to pay extra.

Gao Lu (www.tianmunews.com): Trains are a form of public transport and, with limited space, it's almost impossible to provide personalized services catering to specific groups.

Trading berths to avoid the embarrassment of sharing, or designating compartments as solely male or female, does not solve the fundamental problem and is unnecessary. If there are single-sex compartments on long-haul trains, then is it also necessary to have single-sex carriages on subways because women are embarrassed to be packed in with men during rush hour?

If special attention needs to be paid to the potential unease caused by gender difference, should attention also be given to the potential unease caused by age? Some adults get annoyed by screaming children, so is it possible to push passengers with children together and leave others in peace?

Whether on trains or subways, or in any other public place, safety and public order should be maintained, but separating passengers into groups because of some people's demand for personalized services is going too far. 

Copyedited by G.P. Wilson

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