When Trains Become Libraries | Alternative Fruit

No matter where you live, the commute to work can be a drag. With queues and cramped seating, maybe even being forced to stand, the scope for annoyance can get pretty intense. That's where initiative comes in, and the city of Beijing has taken a great step in the right direction by installing train carriages crammed with audiobooks.


Rather than waiting for the right stop in near silence, or even listening to the heated complaints of a young child, now Chinese commuters can scan a QR code, conveniently placed in key positions around the train, and listen to a whole library of Chinese literature for free.


Not only will this cut the amount of bored time people have to undergo while on the way to and from work, it will open people's eyes as to the rich and diverse literary well spring that is now even more available than before.


This initiative hasn't been taken by an art council, or the government, but a new app which can be downloaded by anyone. The company really pushed the boat or should I say train out with this promotion, and with the gift of the free books, and even a magician in one of the carriages, the message ought to get out there.


If you don't speak Chinese, like me, then you may prefer English audiobooks. If you don't know already, there has been an English language audiobook library on my website for over a year now, and it's continually being added to as I listen to them myself.