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posted Sunday, 28 October 2007
I am horrified to discover that, in my short absence from Liuzhou, standards have slipped. So far have they fallen that I may have to take emergency action!
Not only has my unremitting campaign against electric motor scooters been somewhat stalled; it has suffered a huge setback. Instead of banning the murderously dangerous agents of death and sending all the users for psychiatric evaluation and treatment, the cretins who organise such things have actually made it easier for every moron on a silent weapon to move around.
They have taken the middle part of the pavement/sidewalk and designated it as a ‘bicycle zone’. Remember, the electric scooters are classified as bicycles (and therefore need no licence or training to be used).
Now the pathetic pedestrian is limited to the two strips on either side. The one by the roadside doubles as a parking place for the wretched scooters, so that is usually out of commission, leaving only the strip furthest from the road. This is where people usually set up impromptu market stalls, lie down for a rest, practice karaoke, park their cars, etc. So now I will just stay at home!
I attempted to go to town this morning and met this. Some truck driver apparently believes that trucks are also bicycles.
Still, at least he seems half awake. The driver of this van not only fell asleep and crashed, but didn't even wake up then. The cops had to drag him back from the land of nod and tell him that perhaps he ought to go home for a lie down.
Which brings me by a commodius vicus of recirculation back to my favourite rant.
As I've no doubt mentioned before, riders and passengers of petrol driven motor cycles are required to wear crash helmets. These are generally of poor quality and, to be frank, a paper hat would offer as much protection if not more. There are two exceptions to this law.
a) After 5:30 pm you can do what you like. The traffic cops all go home.
b) Children.
This drives me nuts. It is not uncommon to see mama and/or papa on a motorcycle with infant held in front of or between them – helmetless.
Now, I don’t know where you live, but where I come from this would be seen as an irresponsible, selfish piece of child endangerment and the child would be taken into protective care while the parents would be locked up and the key thrown away. If the motorcycle crashes (and they do every day), guess who is going to get their skulls crushed. Not the ones with no brains driving the things. That’s for sure.
Grrrr!
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UPDATE 31st October.
I was kind of hoping that the locals would realise that scootering up the non-road part of the transport infrastructure was probably not the best idea. And I was right.
I was kind of hoping that the locals would realise that scootering up the non-road part of the transport infrastructure was probably not the best idea. And I was right.
But now they have positioned cops to instruct the riders of these monstrous carriages to get off the road and mow down a few pedestrians.
Are they completely crazy?
Are they completely crazy?
1. zhwj left...
Sunday, 28 October 2007 8:28 pm :: http://www.danwei.org
Wow. That last picture is really scary. Do you know how easily those
rear-view mirrors snap off? The kid's a goner.
2. Peter left...
Monday, 29 October 2007 4:23 pm :: http://www.joecool.dk/blog
I saw that so many times in China this summer, and I felt bad every time.
Act/consequence is not something the Chinese drivers use much time thinking
about.