Good point. Lots of online options now.

I think you can also buy train tickets on Wechat although I've never done it. One possible problem is that some apps require a Chinese ID card number

Recently (about two weeks ago) ISIS made threats to China. Maybe that has a lot to do with the showing of ID's recently.

The problem wasn't to show my passport, or factually just telling the railroad guy my passport number for ticket pickup and later showing both at the security check.

I just entered the main entrance when one officer screamed "LAAAAAAAOOOOOOOWWWAAAAIIII" in a very rude manner and an equally impolite cop took my passport for a photosession on his personal phone.

I take weekly train trips but that was new, and after I didn't bed him on roses after I told him, that I would prefer to have my photos more officially, in the office at a computer with actual IT safety measures he became a little aggrevated.

So now I have to pray that my passport info is in the hands and phone of a phone security enthusiast.

And my trust in the police is very limited after I had to give my number to a cop in the North for registration, a few hours later I received spam an advertisement calls and messages. And my friends told me that cops like to sell personal info to better their pay. So fingers crossed he will be a Zuckerberg with all the best intentions.

shike.114piaowu.com/kunming/ and Ctrip allow for buying train tickets with a passport for a very little surcharge. Then you still have to cue up for obtaining the train ticket with your passport at the train station.

What has been more annoying to me has not being able to buy long distance buses tickets in town. 2 years ago there was a shop on 1 2 1 road, at the crossing which goes up to Wenlin Jie (where the cinema is), but it disappeared. Where is this other one located exactly??

Yesterday, by passing by a big post office, I found out that you can also reserve train and bus tickets from them. They've had this service for a year they told me. But for buses they cannot give a seat number which you get only at the station. Alas, I forgot to ask whether a passport number allows for this reservation. They provide this service only at the larger post offices, located on the main roads.

If somebody with more experience can provide the missing details, it would be nice...

I don't know people read this article or just posting that how to buy train ticket, no one is talking about real issue what @fixitwithahammer is talking about. He is worried why that police man took his photos using his personal phone, either is it safe or not, he is not asking how and where to buy tickets,

I often see police using phones as cameras. This includes when they photograph your car for parking tickets, and these photos then go on to the police records.

The same if true for traffic accidents. One can only assume that camera phones are an everyday piece of police equipment. If that is the case, then it will not be the policeman's personal phone.
I can also understand why they just took the photo and did not record serial numbers in a log. They have the serial numbers in the photos, that are time stamped. In the event of anything untoward happening, the police would just call up all of the records for that day (incl. photo records).

As for the number of photos, If I were a paranoid security director I would want photos of everything that border guards would normally check (visa, entry stamp, ports of entry, other countries visited/visas, etc.). But as I would not be using trained border guards, and there would not be time for that level of scrutiny,

I would expect police/station security to photo things.

The time to worry, is when people at the railway stations and bus stations are screened/interviewed individually by police etc. It is bad enough when this is done at airports, which I have never had to do in China BTW, even if my family name were Ali.

i understand that the pre-checkin gates are staffed by the railway security personal whose duty is to make sure the name on the ticket matches the id used to purchase that ticket. the real police check is after your luggage/s are screened. one time, 3 month earlier, i was pulled up to a office after the screening because i was carrying a tool kit with a set of screw driver, a small hammer and a multi meter in my bag. the police, uniform police, not your average "boa an " actually recorded my passport details and ticket number on a record book on the desk and had to sign the entry. he is quite polite explaining to me that they have to do that because sharp objects can only be allowed if proper record is kept and the railway security staff notified. BUT, they never took photo of the passport. i think, the security police is doing the thing properly because he sensed that my local language is good enough to make a complaint to the top as i sort of hinted that if i could see a supervisor if the tools were to be confiscated.

I live in the south near the technology park. the traffic cops there use a camera to record traffic infringements not a smartphone. they take the picture first and then issue tickets to cars parking on the footpath lightning fast. :-)

Traffic police use a digital camera to document any tickets they issue. I have never seen anyone use a mobile phone.

Same for the security checks.

Nothing can be done about the past but if this should happen again there are a few options to choose if time permits.

1 - 1st question I have is - are you able to communicate in chinese or will you have someone who does when you travel again. Need a person who is assertive and can translate well.

2 - Tell them you want to cooperate and ask to go see the person in charge - in other words - take you off to the side to speak to a superior.

3 - Explain that the manner in which the police behave is NOT appropriate. Yelling Laowai is NOT appropriate unless you were doing something that required them to get your immediate attention.

4 - Exaplin that using a cell phone is NOT appropriate - that

a digital camea should be used if they are making official documentation of people who are entering for screening. When anyone uses there cell phone you have no idea what it is for.

A passport is a very sensitive document that must be safeguarded.

5 - Take a pciture of the police involved making sure you capture his ID number which should be above his left breast pocket. I know many remove the number because it is attached with velcro. If you can not see his number ask him to give you his ID number so you can make inquiries regarding this matter.

6 - Explain that you are taking his photo because his behavior is NOT appropriate and you will address your questions with police superiors uopn returning from your trip. Or do it now if time permits. You are deserving of having this question answered as to why theyare doing this.

In my 14 years I have never seen this behavior although I must admit that I am beginning to see many peculiar things regarding security in my travels.

I mentioned I was in Beijing last week. Surprisingly, when we went through the security check at Tian An Men, the police who was using the metal detector wand to inspect each person coming in just let me get by without checking me at all. But they were being very thorough with chinese (Non-laowais).

just picking up on HFCAMPO's final paragraph, it was the same for me in Tian An Men in 2013, at almost the exact spot where, a week or two before my visit, Uighurs had committed an attack using a car. At that time I had a beard, but my beard being rather ginger and thick rather than black and wispy, it must have been clear that I was not a Uighur. I guess they must have instructions to let foreigners through, as most are tourists who authorities want to have a good impression of China.

Yet again Campos advice will lead to more problems for the majority that try to heed it.
Just let the authorities do the job that they have been ordered to do and get your ticket in peace. And how is a computer in an office any safer than a mobile phone?