Taxis in China are a real experience and I guess you can only understand if you have lived here or someplace similar. I have categorized taxi drivers into the following.....
ACCELORATUS INTERUPTUS : This group of drivers has a permanently shortened calf muscle which prevents them from keeping their foot on the accelerator for more than 2 seconds at a time. The constant jerking back and forward is reminiscent of the EARLY LEARNER DRIVER days when the instructor or family member had to put up with the kangaroo hops up and down the driveway and the closest empty car parks. These drivers are easily spotted by watching the passengers heads bounce violently back and forward as they drive past.
DEFYUS DEATHUS: This driver believes that he is invincible and that driving down the wrong side of the road with oncoming traffic bearing down at full speed is the only way to drive. I have found that the best coping mechanism is to sit calmly, take a few deep breaths and tell yourself that the driver is not going to put himself in danger.
SWERVUS INANOUTUS: This driver has the ability to fit his cab into the smallest spaces between traffic. Crossing at intersections this driver enjoys heading out into the traffic before it has cleared and winding in and out of the traffic before finding the correct lane on the other side sometimes this means heading off to the left and zigzagging across the intersection. Ending up on the wrong side of the road is no problem because he can just reverse back down the road until he is able to enter the correct lane.
HONKUS CONTINUS: This is more a characteristic of Suzhou drivers. Any trip in a taxi is accompanied by regular horn tooting. The drivers will toot at anything within a metre to 100 meters. They toot at cars traveling alongside, in front of and those crossing the road. They even toot if you are stopped at the side of the road waiting to cross and looking directly at them approaching. It could be 2 in the morning and the road empty. As soon as something comes into sight ahead the driver stars tooting and will continue tooting until he has passed the other vehicle. The tooting is important because drivers in China don't know how to use the side mirrors or the rearview mirror. The just look ahead and wouldn't know there was a car coming up unless they heard the toot. Pedestrians too just walk out into the traffic leaving it up to the drivers to see them and swerve rather than waiting for a break in traffic.
FLASHUS HIBEAMUS: This is exactly the same as the condition above except in Shanghai the drivers are discouraged from tooting so they flash lights instead.
TAKUSTHERONGWAYUS: You can almost see the yuan (dollar) signs flash in the eyes of the drivers when they see a 'lao wai' (foreigner) approaching. The average driver will take any opportunity to find the long way to any destination. I have been in one cab driving along a road about 2 blocks from my destination when the driver took a 10 min detour and we ended up right back at the point where we had left the road. I have found the best thing to do is to sit in the front with a map and continually ask where you are. If you know for sure the usual cost of a particular journey you get out of the cab and hand over that amount and walk off
No comments:
Post a Comment