Scooterville

I have discovered the pattern of driving in China! I can get to and from work every day without hitting anyone or getting hit by anyone. (Unless it’s Frank, who I have rear-ended and been rear-ended by - He pulled in front of me, stopped suddenly so I hit him, and then just creamed me in the back and broke my fender!) Other than that, there is a real pattern to the mayhem of traffic. That's the pattern-Mayhem! You simply assume that everyone will do everything you don't want them to do and you've got it. The person on the curb who is staring at you will walk in front of you at the last moment. The cars with the red light will run it so wait a full minute after your light turns green for them to race through, along with that string of bikes and scooters coming from all directions, taking advantage of an "empty" intersection. Then proceed slowly, which is no problem for me, since the hamster in my motor has to get warmed up again to build momentum. Watch out for ALL pedestrians coming from ALL directions. The stripes in the crosswalks are for your aesthetic viewing pleasure only. They do look nice contrasted with the bright yellow vest of the traffic guard and his bright red flag that says “Civilized ‘our city’ Civilized people”. Poor guys, there must be a high turn-over rate since the flow of traffic nearly runs them over.

Don’t forget! The turn signal, much like in America, is used as an afterthought if used at all. Expect people to turn left or right at a moments notice and always across your path, Never assume they will complete the turn, or you will be smashed up against their passenger door. Someone will cut them off in the front or they may decide this is the perfect place to park! Like I said, piece of cake!