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Posts: 364

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Q: How to deal with Chinese traffic, or am I being unreasonable?

Yes, there are many small and big annoyances in China, we all experience them and sometimes we have a bad China day.

 

Of all the big and small things in China the traffic pisses me off no-end.  For some reason it just gets deep, deep under my skin and makes me furious. Especially when crossing the street these three things make my blood pressure spike:

 

1. Busses, they're big and they know it, they give 0-fucks and I hate them for it.

2. Pedestrian crossings, especially on green lights, or when cars are doing "right turn on red"

3. Scooters in general

 

I've gotten in several dangerous situations in the last year or, and due to my stubbornness I have to take my part of the blame. I don't know, the other annoyances I can let go and forget quickly, but with the traffic situation the rage is just consuming me from within. I can't let go and I even have these ridiculous revenge fantasies playing in my head afterwards. I'm afraid I might do something stupid because of it and I can't handle it right now.

 

My questions are:

1. How do you deal with traffic?

2. Do you have any one thing that just get's to you more than it should? How do you handle these things?

3. I am being unreasonable, aren't I?

9 years 23 weeks ago in  Transport & Travel - China

 
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Posts: 9631

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1) Busses. I really don't give a fuck if the car I drive is totaled, I usually drive my MILs car.

2) My MILs car has VERY good brakes. I will have been honking for a while while maintaining speed before I slow down for a pedestrian (old ladies excepted)  Like to see them jump.

3) I have zero problems with scooters. 

 

 

 

1) Loud music to block out the honking. I actually generally drive very nicely, completely by the book, haven't crossed a single solid line. When I am at a pedestrian crossing with pedestrians wanting to cross, I ALWAYS stop, and if people are confused by the car stopping, I will smile and wave to them to cross. 

2) I think the biggest problem is that people have zero patience. E.g. if you drive at a safe distance to the vehicle in front, you will be overtaken. People think that overtaking is a constant action. 

3) certainly not. there are 800.000 killed in traffic each year. many are children. Stick to the rules, be a good example. After all, there are only 1.3 billion people that needs to change for traffic to be tolerable. 
I think carrying a bag of eggs as a pedestrian is perfectly sensible. Fling eggs at cars, well, not on purpose of cause, but because you got scared by the insane driving, your reflexes just can't help it. 

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9 years 23 weeks ago
 
Posts: 166

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The easiest way to do this is buying a tank and then run over anything that is in your way. That way, you will always have the right of way.

coineineagh:

they're called humvees.

9 years 23 weeks ago
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9 years 23 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1300

Shifu

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Driving in China has made me realize that if you don't drive more aggressively, you just won't get anywhere. With the buses just stopping in the middle of the street, cars blocking up the intersections, hoards of pedestrians, scooters, tuktuks, and other drivers making lanes for themselves, I also tend to drive like an asshole. As a pedestrian, watching out for traffic is just second nature and if you're careful, doesn't cost you much of anything. As a driver, driving like an asshole can mean the difference between a 45 minute commute and an hour commute.  

dongbeiren:

This is exactly why I don't think I could ever drive in China - that and I'm sure I'd be blamed if I got into an accident no matter what actually happened. Nobody here has heard of defensive driving. 

9 years 23 weeks ago
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hi2u:

I'm also usually a defensive driver, but when I need to drive more aggressively, I do it smartly. I use my turn signals and look out my window when I turn. Chinese drivers think checking their side mirrors is good enough. Apparently they've never heard of blind spots. When I was test driving my car when I was car shopping, the car dealer guy criticized my driving because I turned my head instead of just using the mirrors. 

9 years 23 weeks ago
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xinyuren:

most people misuse their side mirrors.  The proper way is to aim them at the blind spots.  the rear-view mirror is for the rear and the side mirrors are for the blind spots.

9 years 23 weeks ago
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hi2u:

There's always blind spots, just adjusting the side mirror to the right angle will minimize them, but it's no substitute for my peripheral vision. No accidents so far. 

9 years 23 weeks ago
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Shining_brow:

The concept of 'blind spot' IS  the area the mirrors don't get! The only way to not have a blinid spot is to have complete 360 degree views!

9 years 23 weeks ago
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9 years 23 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1439

Shifu

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I try to show patience with buses. Those pieces of junk look (and often sound) absolutely painful, physically and mentally, to get to a halt.

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9 years 23 weeks ago
 
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I live and work in a "new town" district that is supposed to become the new CBD in my city a few years from now.

Why did I choose to also live here? Except for the fact that my workplace is 5min from my flat, very few people, maybe 80% of the apartments are empty, very little traffic, more greenery than the rest of the city, brand new streets, brand new MTR, and high end malls with foreign brand shops and supermarkets.

I advise you to do the same, move to the new center of you city, most first and second tier cities have one. Personally I had enough of the "real China".

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9 years 23 weeks ago
 
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well i cycle to work everyday here in gz, and yea somedays you just wanna blow them all up. i usally listen to some good music and if a car pulls in front of me or cuts me off most of the time i smile and say gan maaaaaaaa? the drivers then realise they were wrong and usually smile and apologise.

i use to get so angry at them and swear and curse at them, but that puts me in a bad mood for the day. i prefer my new approach!

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9 years 23 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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What I would do for a bazooka, lol.

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9 years 23 weeks ago
 
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Well, when you have 1.4 billion selfish people (okay, not all but most) and you box them all onto a narrow path with fast moving potential weapons...

 

And toss into the fact, most of them paid for their drivers license or don't even have one at all... 

 

You get a lot of Chaos. So I don't think you are being unreasonable. China is unreasonable at almost ALL times lol. 

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9 years 23 weeks ago
 
Posts: 364

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I'm sorry if it didn't make my self clear. It's mostly when I'm walking, and when I'm crossing the street as a pedestrian that I get these moments of rage. And this actually puts me in an even more dangerous position, as compared to car v. car.

 

@lolachina I like your approach, no anger, just a "gan ma?" I'm gonna try that.

DrMonkey:

I got those moments too, but I'm told that I'm weird and/or OCD. In the kingdom of the blinds, the one-eyed is a weirdo :D

9 years 23 weeks ago
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Shining_brow:

That 'gan ma' doesn't do shit! They know they're in the wrong - they just don't care!

 

I tend to point to the pedestrian crossing I'm on while looking them in the face... again, they know, they just don't care - you're someone who is getting in their way, and will cause them to be 3 seconds later than they should be!

 

This is why I give acknowledgement (thumbs up or a quick nod) to drivers who do actually stop! - like we often do back home...

9 years 23 weeks ago
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9 years 23 weeks ago
 
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I usually don't deal with their traffic! I 'enforce' Western rules as pedestrian. Chinese pedestrians never follow me.surprise

 

What it gets to me is ladies with mini skirts and high heels driving vespas (in Fujian mostly).

I also don't understand Chinese 'safety' in Liaoning's traffic. Cops regulating traffic inside crossings are all females, above 175 cm, skinny and beautiful in uniform. I believe, there must be some 'uniform attraction', because for me that's beyond the words. 

I don't drive in China, but if I would that surely classify as 'cops are distracting me'.

Burak43:

"I usually don't deal with their traffic! I 'enforce' Western rules as pedestrian. "

Yeah that's what I've been doing as well, and that's why I posted this question. This is brought me into several dangerous situations and the dirvers/riders conduct just keeps on making me angry.

9 years 23 weeks ago
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icnif77:

I wanted to say, 'I don't give a shit for this mess'. When I walk, they must stop their cars, and for 'drive'....'zhi bu dao'.

I'll go for bike ride soon (no helmet), we'll see what happen.

9 years 23 weeks ago
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9 years 23 weeks ago
 
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I don't blame you for the rage.  I get it too.  Fortunately, I get to choose what time I am out in traffic most of the time.  I go out late at night to avoid the chaos and rage.  This is probably not a viable solution for you, but you have my moral support.

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9 years 23 weeks ago
 
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Answer 1: A. I hate being stuck inside crowded and stink buses and trains.

                 B. Considering the dangerous traffic and air pollution,to walk to work is impossible and insane too, 

                 C. My solution: I bought a Smart fortwo, smaller and smarter to avoid the widespread road killers. 

 

Answer 2:My first car in China was a Toyota Vioz. After a scooter (out from nowhere!) bumped into me and cost me a fortune, I sold it and never dare to try big cars.

             I was told by a German friend that when you did nothing wrong in a traffic accident, if you say "sorry" to the wounded ones, you're making yourself endless troubles. However, it isn't true in China. In my Vioz VS scooter accident, actually the scooter riders had broke traffic regulations. So I refused to say sorry, but lots of onlookers circled me up and criticized me for not having say sorry to the rider. The riders weren't wounded badly, but they pretended being too painful to get up. And then the policemen came, cost me a lot to compensate the them.

 

Answer 3. Your rage is reasonable. I become a rude girl shouting dirty words whenever I am driving in China. The traffic is such a chaos, drivers, scooters and passengers are never predictable!

 

Shining_brow:

"Please give me your address... me and some of my friends will come around and deliver your 'compensation' to you... :D :D :D"

9 years 23 weeks ago
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JulieShen:

I need to make some cool friends thenangel

9 years 23 weeks ago
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9 years 23 weeks ago
 
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People are mostly children and children need rules. Chinese police suck, i.e. no enforcement ~ no rules. So when I'm on the road I see those around me as bumbling kids. I find it hard to get mad at kids. It's basically a country that didn't have cars on the road till only a few years ago. Road etiquette is organic and needs time to grow but without the enforcement of law longer still. My guess is China needs a few years of roadkill before the government clamps down on a lazy police force who don't give a shit. Until then you just have to accept it or take the bus.

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9 years 23 weeks ago
 
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Make a few videos/movies of this. Make sure it's obvious where you are. Ensure the local lazy police are in the footage doing nothing.

 

Post them on appropriate websites - youku, sina, youtube  (yes, definitely the overseas ones!)

 

Tell EVERYONE about them - especially the mayor's office... and how it will affect the 'face' of the city you're in....

JulieShen:

Haha... You absolutely know how to survive in China. "Face of the city" is very important.wink

9 years 23 weeks ago
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QDasmond:

I LOVE this idea. Where can I buy a dash-cam?

9 years 22 weeks ago
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9 years 23 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1153

Shifu

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SLIP AND SLIDE

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9 years 22 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1059

Shifu

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I was riding to work on monday about to ride on the island in the middle of the road.when this woman on her bike decided to ride across in front of me (not sure why she did that).lucky my breaks are good and I just stopped in time.

I told her fuck off in English then carried on riding to work.the next day I see her again and she starts calling me a fucking retard and lifting her middle finger.I took the bait should have kept my mouth shut I did the same back to her.

everyday this week she has been doing this its like she is stalking me its like she is waiting for me.just not sure what to do about it

iWolf:

Smile, say hello (cheerfully) and wave.

 

Everyone who sees her will think she is nuts & crude and she will lose face. And never take the bait

9 years 22 weeks ago
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9 years 22 weeks ago
 
Posts: 57

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To block out their incessant honking and to remind myself that they're all trying indirectly to either kill or sue me, I often wear headphones playing video game music, such as Mario Kart. If they still make me angry, I try to remind myself that their lives probably suck compared to mine, and that, as Martian already said, they're all just little, immature, impulsive children in adult bodies.

coineineagh:

I like the mental picture: Dodge the moving obstacles or get into an expensive accident. All to the theme of Super Mario!!

9 years 22 weeks ago
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9 years 22 weeks ago
 
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