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Q: Why do people drive on the sidewalk?
In 3+ years of living in China I have adjusted pretty well to the challenges here. The one thing that I just can't over is the people constantly driving on the sidewalk. I live in a tier 2 city (Changchun) and see this happening almost every day. Not only do people seem to think it is acceptable, they incessantly honk at pedestrians as if to say "how dare you get in my way by walking on the sidewalk!". I lost it the other day when some dickwad pulled up so close behind me on the sidewalk that he almost hit me. I screamed an obscenity at him in English (was too shaken up to switch into Mandarin mode) and he screamed something unintelligible back at me. I doubt it would have even occurred to this genius why I was so angry. I have witnessed parades of cars driving down the sidewalk when traffic is bad. It really sucks during winter when you have to step onto icy patches on the side of the road in order to avoid these crazed motorists. When traveling to more developed tier 1 cities I have never witnessed this behavior. My question has a few parts:
1. Do people drive on the sidewalk where you live? (city name would be helpful)
2. How do you deal with this as a pedestrian? My reactions range from simply getting out of the way to deliberately ignoring them for as long as I can to showing them my disgust with hand gestures/words.
3. Can drivers face any legal consequences for this? I have been told by Chinese colleagues that driving on the sidewalk is illegal.
You will find sidewalk drivers everywhere in China. This is due to to the influence of selfishness and entitlement in society. Simply put, they drive on the sidewalk because it suits their needs, they can, and they really don't care about it's impact on anyone else. Yes it is illegal, but the police don't care about enforcing most traffic laws. And the best advice I could give you is the stay the heck out of the way. To be honest, I would pay a pretty penny for some of those razor sharp little star things to throw in front of their tires as they roll by.
You some sort of looser who walks...... is what they are thinking.
My theory on Chinese driving is: Back in the day, before private car ownership was allowed, only party members drove... or more to the fact, got driven. And I am sure they would not wait for the roads to clear, they would not respect any rules. As their cars were pretty much alone on the streets with some busses and lots of bikes, it was just a matter for the driver of holding the horn and press the accelerator. As these party members were The Strong in society, they became role models and thus this is what the "modern strong man" is striving to be.
Because the sidewalks are the only damn place chinese dont walk.
P.S. I am very pro driver. And until Chinese learn to stop walking in the middle of the road and walking infront of traffic and refusing to wait for a traffic light, they have no god damn right to complain about drivers.
Yes i am well aware that 95% of drivers are ignorant &unts, but since pedestrians are the ones constantly trying to commit suicide in the front of my car, i have chosen the drivers side.
But dont get me started ok bikes and scooters.
dongbeiren:
True, pedestrians are pretty reckless here too. Though it's not always their fault. There are a lot of places where it's simply impossible to cross the street safely due to lack of appropriate traffic lights. Additionally, whole areas of sidewalk are often closed to pedestrians due to the sidewalk constantly being dug up. This forces pedestrians onto the road.
Slack traffic laws, I drive on the pavement all the time, but then it's not like the roads are full of superbikes roaring along the pavements at 100 miles an hour, I kind of like it. Might feel differently when my kids are wandering along pavements and getting wing mirrors clip their elbows though. Feelings change with perspectives, I used to be fancy free, riding a 500cc down the motorway at 120mph singing Don't Stop Me Now, and now i'm a dad, riding an electric hairdryer at 15mph and humming the tune to Tellytubbies. There are dozens of things that bug me on the roads but pavement mounting isn't near the top of the list. Not gonna start that list right now, I don't have THAT kind of free time, suffice to say the fact that half the drivers have their fog lamps on at night, whilst the other half are driving with no lights is up there in the top five.
mArtiAn:
I think that's fog lamps. That's what I call them anyway. Then there's the half with their indicators permanently flashing. How many halves is that so far?
Scandinavian:
and fog lights, and the right turn indicator while turning left
andy74rc:
Turn on the high beams on a foggy day and you'll understand the difference...:P
Last week-end, a white guy was driving his bike on the walk way, counter way. I point him with my finger and I gently move on his way to be sure he sees me. I then point the bike lane. He told me to go fuck myself. I see a lot of foreigners with the same habit.
Why driving on the walkway => you can save 5 seconds, no need to cross a road to be on the right lane, no need to do 2 meters more to catch that turn you take every day. Your own personal convenience is above anything else. Laws are fuzzy because fuzzily enforced. Everyone is the excuse for everyone to make minor offenses and being selfish. That's Chinese society as it is now. And human soul seems to be weak, because foreigners living here takes the same habit very fast, despite knowing better.
I often question myself, am I a judgmental prick, am I being overly rigid ? But I don't see where I am wrong :(
Scandinavian:
It's the good old, "would you jump off a bridge just because everyone else does it", I stick to the rules even though it is difficult.
mike695ca:
I am strictly the opposite side. I follow the rules religiously and always wait. I want to drive on the shoulder too, but im afraid of becoming the exact thing i hate so passionately. So i wait, and curse them, and take the high road and continue to he a half hour late for dinner. Id be a hypocrite to hate them so then act like them a second later.
I live in Guilin and all these freaking e-biles seem to only ride on the sidewalks, I lost it once and pushed a guy out of his bike when he was pushing the front wheel into my legs to make me hurry. I haven't seen cars though.
TedDBayer:
some do, most don't, if on sidewalk they are usually close to destination, They do go the wrong way and drive without lights.
Because Chinese people only care about themselves. You are dealing with the most childishly selfish people on earth, here. If traffic on the road is busy, a lot of dipshits here don't want to waste their time sitting in it. And....that's it. That's the entire thought process.
Result of allowing monkeys access to wheeled vehicles.
I just do what most of the locals do....ignore them and pretend that I didnt hear them and continue doing what I'm doing. Pissed them off but what can they do? Get out of the car and hit me? All they can do is to give me a nasty look.
China needs better traffic laws and needs to enforce them, too many dangerous thoughtless drivers, I think 6 demerit points should be cained, 12 should be executed by tank.
They just don't drive on the sidewalk, they race on it. They are totally oblivious to the pedestrians, be it, man, woman, child, old folk or disabled. They show no consideration for other safety, failing to slow down and the horn honking constantly for you, the pedestrian to move as if you shouldn't be there. There is no respect for any individuals safety these drives are ruthless and callous, only think about themselves. Driver who take to driving on the sidewalk should be fined, heavily. Driving of the sidewalk put everyone in danger they are for the general publics safety not car, moto or e-bike drivers. uh! well they are supposed to be.
Burak43:
You say they should be fined heavily, yeah of course. Problem is, the police cares exactly as much about individual safety as the asshole driving on the sidewalk.
