Transportation in China is multi-faceted and always a
challenge.
Taxis aren’t
particularly expensive, but you need to have the address of where you are going
written in Chinese before attempting to get a taxi, or you need to have someone
with you who speaks Chinese!
Usually, this means two taxis because when we’re at the orphanage in
Fuling there are too many of us.
But, we have interpreters!
Otherwise, one must anticipate when a taxi ride will be needed and have
a print out with the address, have the address on a smart phone, or get someone
to write down the address in Chinese for you.
I’ve done all three.
Fortunately, some of the hotels have cards for visitors with their
address and directions for the taxi driver.
When we landed in Beijing close to midnight and needed a
taxi to get us to our hotel, fortunately, I also had the hotel’s telephone
number because the taxi driver needed to call twice in order to locate the
quaint hotel located among the hutong (ancient Chinese alleyways in the center
of the city).
In Fuling, the taxis frequently run on propane, which means
their trunks have been outfitted with an auxiliary propane tank. In other words, they can’t hold much
luggage. Every taxi ride I’ve
taken with luggage has meant the trunk lid was open.
When I first came to China in 2011, it was a huge risk to
ride in any vehicle, as seat belts weren’t required. Most taxicabs didn’t even have a seat belt to put on, if you
wanted to! I drove with
professional colleagues (i.e., medical doctors) who had nice cars with seat
belts, but the insertion buckle was plugged with a decorative “device.” No one wore a seat belt! Fast-forward four years and now the law
states that all people in the front row must buckle their seat belts. Behind that, it’s optional! At least, in most cases, now there are
seat belts and I’ve been able to buckle mine. Although, I do have to admit to a few unbuckled rides in the
back seat because I couldn’t find the belt.
My colleague, Nancy, and I flew to Nanjing last week to meet
with faculty and administrators at Nanjing Technical College of Special
Education (more on that later). On
our return flight to Chongqing, Nancy noted the person sitting next to her did
not know how to buckle her seat belt.
Despite several announcements before landing, the moment the wheels
touched the ground the clicking sound of every seat belt unlocking except Nancy’s and
mine filled the cabin air. What
part of do not unbuckle your seat belt until we reach the gate and the captain has
turned off the seat belt sign do they not get? It’s China … (see previous post J)
We also take the bus in Chongqing to get from our hotel to
the military hospital. There are
three busses we can catch a block from our hotel and three stops later we
arrive at the entrance to the military hospital. We know it will be 1 or 2 Yuan, depending on the bus. The rule of using public transportation
is always have your money ready.
The last thing I do before I leave the hotel room is put 2 Yuan in my
outside pocket so I won’t have to get into my purse in a busy situation. This is also a good policy when you
need to buy subway tickets!
Nancy and I were on the bus to the military hospital when
before we’d gone two blocks, we were in the midst of a major traffic jam! The bus ride usually takes 10 minutes,
but this time we were in such a parking lot, the bus driver actually stepped
outside and smoked a cigarette.
Passengers started getting off the bus when they realized they could
walk to their destination faster than they were going to get there on the
bus. However, Nancy and I weren’t
quite sure if we could navigate the route on foot, as we hadn’t paid that close
of attention while riding. Note to
self: you might have to walk at
some point! Pay attention. Eventually, the bus made it to the stop
before the military hospital. At
that point, the driver ordered all of us off and we set off on foot with full
knowledge of where we were and how to get to our destination! Whew!
That afternoon Nancy stayed in the room and I went back to
the hospital by myself. I got on
and went to put the two (1) Yuan bills in the slot. A gentleman started talking to me in Chinese and tried to grab
my first Yuan. I dropped it in
anyway. As I started to put the
next one in, the driver started talking to me in Chinese as well. I hesitated, realized they were trying
to get me to do something, and allowed the man to take my Yuan. Everyone nodded
– it was all okay. They quieted
down and sat down. I guess he
needed change, or had put in 3 Yuan by mistake. Anyway, I was the redeemer and fortunately, speak “body
language.”
I have now taken the subway in Chongqing, along with
Beijing, Hong Kong, and Chengdu.
Each is a little different, but there’s a system of putting your card
next to a reader, going through the turn style, riding the subway, and then
putting the card in a slot as you exit.
The great thing about the subway is first, no traffic jams! Subways run on schedule and you can
plan to get somewhere consistently.
Now, that doesn’t mean the subways aren’t jammed packed – they are! And, in Chongqing, my white hair hasn’t
gotten me a seat. They also have a
map of the stations and announcements are made in Chinese and English. That doesn’t mean I understand what
they said in English, but it does give me a bit of help in determining where I
am.
Sometimes, we end up hiring drivers. While more expensive, this
usually works well for a group and means we get a professional driver. When sightseeing, this has been the way
to go! Sometimes, our hosts have a
van and we move around that way.
Generally, though, the driver doesn’t speak English and we need to have
things arranged ahead of time or have an interpreter with us.
Several of our hosts at the military hospital and my
colleague here at Chongqing Normal University have private cars. They have been gracious enough to pick
us up, take us places, and transfer us when needed. We were talking with the head of pediatrics about the
logistics of our visit, when she mentioned the problem is finding drivers who
speak English. There are staff who
drive and staff who speak English, but only a few who both drive and speak
English. That said most haven’t
been driving for a long period. Driving
in China is the most multi-sensory, multi-tasking phenomenon I’ve
experienced.
When I lived in Europe many years ago, I drove. The traffic laws were pretty loose and
I learned quickly that if it were a two-lane road with enough room for three
cars, then three cars it was! But
not Italy, not Greece, not driving or riding my bike on the left side of the
road in the British Isles prepared me for China. First, your horn is as much a driving tool as the rear view
mirror and side view mirrors. And,
believe me you NEED those mirrors!
Taxi drivers, professional drivers, truckers, and most drivers honk
their horn when they pass, when someone gets too close, when a pedestrian looks
like they might walk in front of/near the vehicle. You name it; it’s a good thing to honk. As such, the traffic is cacophony of
horns! The noise is
unbelievable. Second, the arrows
on the street are just suggestions.
If you want to turn left, as long as you have a left turn arrow and the straight-ahead
traffic is stopped, you can turn left from any lane. Same goes for right hand turns or u-turns, for that
matter. Actually, the lanes are
just suggestions. Drivers must
constantly be aware of traffic behind, in front of, and to either side. Then, there are the scooters,
motorcycles, and bikes.
So, despite the fact that the driver might speak English, I
don’t chat with them. I figure he
or she already has enough multi-tasking to do; they don’t need to try to come
up with words in a second language. Once we arrive at our destination, we can talk -- which, is nice.
One other observation – if you’re a new or cautious driver
and drive slow, no one honks at you!
They just go around you.
For the inexperienced driver, I think this is good. He or she is processing so much, that
to do it a high rate of speed would probably be suicide and the other drivers
seem to simply adapt.
Last, I do love their traffic signals. Not only do you get a green or red light, but you get the number of seconds the light will be green or red. Yellow is really just a brief transition from green to red and never lasts more than 3 seconds. The same is usually true of pedestrian signals. Most will tell you how many seconds you have to wait before you can cross the street along with the number of seconds you have to get across the street. Great information! My "chinese" street-crossing skills are fodder for another post.
