Liuzhou Weather
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What is the difference between these two modes of transport?
b) The first is relatively slow. The second is relatively quick.
c) The first requires no licence or test before using. The second requires that a test be passed and a licence issued.
Yes. It's c)
Here in China, the electric scooters are classified as bicycles and, recently they have become very popular. This means that the streets are full of the horrible things being driven by idiots who have no concept of how to drive safely, no knowledge of the vague rules of the road. Worse than that, the scooters being bicycles, they are allowed to be driven anywhere. So when you are strolling through the busy streets you have to keep a look out for these monsters charging through the pedestrians at 30 MPH. And remember, they are virtually slient.
You will have noticed that none of the scooter riders are wearing helmets. A few do. Maybe 1%. They are not required. On regular motorcycles, helmets are required. These scooters go just as fast as regular motorcycles. So we have untrained, unlicensed (often very young) riders zapping about with no helmets often talking on their mobiles at the same time.
There have been many accidents (one report I read said that the scooters were involved in 53% of all accidents in Liuzhou) and several deaths.
I guess the laws are national rather than local, so the situation must be similar in other cities.
Idiocy!
Of course, at night, they never switch on their lights. Runs the battery down too quickly. Suicidal nutters.
UPDATE: Not 24 hours after posting this, I arrive home from lunch to find a large crowd of people outside my apartment block. It seems that one of the neighbours has decided to come shooting out of the alley between this block and the next and rammed her scooter into a passing truck. Chinese drivers never, ever look before pulling into larger roadways. That would spoil the fun!
Broken scooter all over the place and Mrs Neighbour sitting on the ground, wailing. Not a pretty sight. Anyway no real damage done. She is alive, although her scooter might be feeling a bit bruised.
My Mom got hit by one of those G@DD@$MN things last year after our WEDDING
party. Thank God she was just slightly clipped. We had to dodge those damn
things all the time during our last visit. I am ever so thankful that
motorcycles of ALL kind are 100% banned in Zhuhai where I live. The leaders
of Liuzhou are insane to allow those scooters.
very funny post... luckily those have not caught on here in baltimore
In defense of the little scootie thingamies, take a look at the third photo
in the post above.