Have you ever heard that country song about “Jesus Take the
Wheel”? Let me tell you, if there was a good lyrical translation into Mandarin,
that song would be a hit here in China regardless of personal creed. You want,
no – probably more like need, an amazing driver to survive the highways in
China.
Let me list off a few traffic laws that, official or not,
are definitely practiced by all drivers here in the beautiful city of
Chongqing.
1. Seatbelts are only a foreign
trinket developed in Germany and the U.S.; they are not necessary
(interestingly enough, there are few Japanese cars here)
2. Honking the horn is not a warning
of danger; it is an announcement of “I’m coming through!”
3. Lane markers are in place only to
give business to Chinese paint manufacturers. If you can fit 5 cars, 3 bikes, 4
pedestrians, 2 scooters, and 1 dog abreast in 2 lanes, go for it!
4. Speed limits are non-existent
5. Policemen are there in the event
of an accident. Otherwise, they attempt to direct traffic and wave as people
cut each other off and zip by; you don’t need to yield to their cars even with
lights flashing
6. Crosswalks are only a formality;
the cars will not stop for you
It occurred to me that the reckless, aggressive driving
practiced here in Chongqing is not a reflection of personal emotions.
Throughout the duration of the transit, our illustrious driver did not so much
as raise an eyebrow. Cool as a cucumber, he would cut into a lane (missing a
car by literally, centimeters), accelerate faster than a MiniCooper (or so it
felt like in the massive bus), and generally make the most daring moves ever
attempted by somebody in anything bigger than a sports car.
It was a fantastic ride.
As soon as I overcame the shock, I learned that I needed to
just sit back and trust that the driver knew what he was doing. There was
nothing I could do either to change the traffic or the bus’s direction. I
needed to get to the factory, and this was the method provided to me. Another
meaning to “Jesus Take the Wheel”…
After an hour and a half of this madness, we pulled into the
factory and proceeded up to the office. All this excitement, and I hadn’t even
started my first day yet…
Yikes! So happy you're blogging! Hope it continues with your all your traveling. :)
ReplyDeleteThose traffic laws are...brilliant! It seems like the only "do-not" is "do not run into another car."
ReplyDeleteSee you tomorrow Ben (weird to say, isn't it?)!