It’s been long said that the year 2012 will see the end of the world. The movie 2012 even makes an attempt to show us the catastrophic events leading up t0 the worldwide disaster, and a modern version of Noah’s Ark, a ship in Tibet where people will be safe. While tickets for the movie ship cost a billion Euros each, in real life they can be purchased for less than $0.5.
Chinese online shopping portal, Taobao, has several online stores selling these counterfeit tickets at 3 RMB a piece. The tickets have been popular as a new year’s gift, a comical way of ensuring one’s safety in the face of the 2012 Armageddon. Thousands of tickets have been sold so far. Physical stores are printing up and selling these tickets, too. One store in Jingsau has sold 2,500 train and ark tickets at 3 RMB each. Another one sold 1,700 Chinese Noah’s Ark passes in a month, at 2 RMB each.
Photo © Columbia Pictures
Although there are several versions of the ticket, the information on all of them remains consistent – the boarding time, which is midnight on December 21st 2012, and the boarding place, at Zhuo Ming Gu dock. This is the same information that is talked about in the movie 2012. Cabin seats and ticket numbers have also been included. To make the tickets look real, some stores have introduced ticketing systems that allow the customers to enter their name, nationality and other information on their tickets.
Photo © Columbia Pictures
To make it seem even more authentic, some stores have put ‘must read’ information on their tickets, stating clearly that customers need to purchase the tickets with their own money and show appropriate bank asset proof. Greedy officials are warned against purchasing any tickets at all. A person cannot purchase more than 7 tickets, which must include their immediate family members. No mistresses/secretaries allowed, they insist.
Besides the tickets, people are queuing up to purchase other joke survival items such as earthquake first aid kits, rescue ropes, emergency medicine packages and Swiss Army Knifes. Quite an innovative way to welcome 2012, wouldn’t you say?
via ChinaHush
