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Q: What's with stopping in the middle of traffic?
Every country has its assholes. However, China seems to have more people who are oblivious to others around them. I find myself continuously behind groups of people who like to stop and camp out at odd locations. I'm walking down a flight of stairs at a busy shopping mall and there is usually a couple (young, so they should know better) who stops mid-stairwell and decides to check their bags or chat on the phone. It's a busy stairwell, but this couple insists they're the only people using it at that time. You would think that someone born in a country where there are 1.3 billion people would know to remove/pardon themselves from the flow of traffic before deciding to stop and check their messages. The worst is when you're driving. The asshole in front of you decides to stop mid-lane and call his buddy for directions. "Why can't you just pull over?" I simply love it when they double park their car in the middle of a busy road, turn on their hazards, then get out and walk to the corner market to buy cigarettes. They usually cut in front of 5 people waiting to check out, then they get back in their car and drive away as you are trapped behind them blaring your horn. Really? What's up with that? Old people are bad everywhere in the world, but in China, I know they can move fast. I know because when it's time to get on a crowded bus, old women turn into vicious rugby players using their elbows to jab your ribs and squeeze in behind you. At other times, they act like old people and move at a snail's pace. But the younger generation? Sometimes I get angry, tap them on the shoulder and say, "zhende ma? Man, man zou. Zhende, man man!"
It is cultural
5000 years of history and most people in China know that if you think about other people, especially strangers, you will lose out. It seems to be a kind of weakness to show awareness of the unfamiliar. So you stop where and when you want.
The most dangerous i have encountered are the people who stop at the bottom of escalators when they get off, thus impeding all the other people coming down and potentially causing an accident.
I am not saying that all people in China are not aware of non-family members, but they are not common.
I am back home now and people here constantly look around themselves checking that they are not impeding the flow, before they stop to chat, or park, or hold open doors for people. Even getting on buses here, people stand back politely almost causing a stand-off before proceeding.
The solution? I've no idea, except i'm not going to change my behaviour
wagon:
The people that stop at the end of an escalator drive me nuts, especially in the train station. One of these days, I tell you, one of these days...
The signs are really poor in China, and people think it is an end of life disaster if they miss a turn. It might be in some cases, but so far all cities I've been in, are new and have a grid style road layout for the major parts. You can always just take the next turn and get back on track.
I've a couple of times said to my wife that I think people are hugely selfish in China. Only think of the family. Getting her behind the wheel of a car helped a lot on helping her understand what I am talking about. She got her first license in Europe and drove there for a year before we moved to China. She is an outstanding driver, has yet to sound the horn, because we all know that does f/#& all to move traffic.
Because the society is "all about family" then there is no education in getting the bigger society working. All the BS about harmonious society is just to make people think they are in a great place, to keep the calm. There are no role models, no enforcement of basic civil behavior.
Phew , So it isn't just my wife that does this .
Thank God she doesn't have a Drivers Licence
