Traffic

Chinese traffic is an experience unto itself. It occurred to me today as I was walking to lunch, that I have absolutely no regard for the Chinese traffic laws or signals anymore. Crossing streets consists of looking, and dodging between traffic jams, trying to avoid being hit by a) a car, b) a bicycle, c) other pedestrians, or d) any of the oddly constructed, wholly inefficient vehicle/bikes motoring or pedaling around the city.

My first experience came the very second day. The whole program was headed to the Sanlitun area, and I had the (mis)fortune of riding in a taxi with one of Beijing’s crazier drivers. We had just gotten off the highway, and headed down a street. To reach our destination, we had to turn left. The left turn arrow had just turned red. Did that stop our driver? Not for a second. Ignoring the light, we turned left . . . into the oncoming lane, as two other taxies headed straight at us. Our driver decided to swerve sharply to avoid the cars . . . and swerved left. Onto the median. We traveled this way for the next fifty feet, until a hole opened up in oncoming traffic, at which point our driver proceeded to hit the accelerator and swerve back across oncoming traffic into the proper lane.

The other defining experience came from riding the program bus back during rush hour. Having taken public transportation out of D.C.’s city center at rush hour, I thought I was no stranger to busy traffic. I was wrong, as seemingly as many of the 14 million residents cram themselves onto buses, subway stations, and cars as possible when work ends (at a generous five o’clock).

I shouldn’t be too harsh, traffic isn’t all that bad. The cars are small enough and going slowly enough that most of the time it is possible to dart out in front of traffic and stand a reasonable chance of surviving. I’ve adopted the “local” rule, which is to say if a local crosses the street, regardless of how many oncoming cars there are, it’s safe to cross. My major concern is that when I return to D.C., I will disregard traffic and traffic lights in a similar manner, and end up a big wet smear on Massachusetts Avenue.