Transportation tidbits -October 16

October 16/2012

I heard from a friend who referred to traffic while she visited China about a year ago as “hair raising”.  Twenty years ago in Xuzhou, I would have said the same thing.  In that city, at that time, bicycles, cars, thousands of company vans, buses and 2 ton lorries all vied for territory in the vehicle lanes.  The only time my husband got hit by oncoming traffic was when he stopped obediently at a crossroads where there was a crosswalk, a stop light, and a traffic officer.  Bicycles and pedestrians shared the bicycle and pedestrian walkways about equally.  Now, at least in Nanjing, I have come to the view that traffic here is only slightly more hectic than in a western city at rush hour.  The difference is that rush hour begins at 7:05 in the morning and ends at 8:00 at night on weekdays;  traffic is heavy on Saturday until 2:00 a.m.  In fact, on Friday or Saturday nights, it is difficult to get a cab anywhere that I have been in the city. But really, I have been primarily within the old city walls, the core.  So, this description of transportation focuses on the city core. 

Office workers work five days a week, but the stores are open 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, banks 8:00-6:00, 7 days, albeit with only teller cash service on weekends.  Many small street stores, and markets, are open longer, some from 6:00 in the morning till 10:00 at night.  And all those people have to get to work.  

Street sweepers work from daylight - probably a 10-12 hour shift.

Delivering recyclables to the depot.

Recycle truck at the depot.

 Peasants have to bring their products to the streets and markets. 

Citrus in season, 6 species of oranges.

Street vegetable vendors.  Light on right is the open market.

You will see people from their mid-20’s to seniors with a wooden or bamboo pole supporting heavy loads, carrying their goods on the subway or on foot.  People pulling heavy carts of garbage and recyclables to central points for truck pickup.  E-bikes and bicycles haul construction materials, furniture, pipe in 20 foot lengths, toddlers, the groceries, cages of poultry, turtles or crabs, and the family.  Apparently, e-bikes are not supposed to carry passengers, but no one pays any attention to that silly rule. People take their chances, of necessity. I have seen fellows hauling everything from a wife and child on an e-bike, with bags of shopping bouncing along and the vegetables or the dog on the floorboards, while talking on a cell phone.  It is rare to see a car driver using a phone, which is encouraging.   A two year old on dad’s lap, balancing with his hands on the handlebars.  Beautiful young women wearing 4 inch spike heels with a coat worn back to front as protection from the wind and dust, mothers in lovely skirt suits or dresses on e-bikes are too common to be noteworthy, except for the lovely mom with grandma on the back, holding a sleeping babe in her arms. 

Helmets are not uncommon on motorbikes, but I have never seen a Chinese wearing a bike helmet.  In fact, the only e-bike or bicycle rider I have seen who wears a Helmut is a 31 year old colleague who nearly met his Master while teaching in Thailand last year.  Jim, my 70 something, colleague, also says he would not feel comfortable without his.  Personally, I think I will get one soon. 

 For the first 2 weeks I was here, I took the public buses.  It was hot out, and the Chinese capitalist claiming communism government recognizes people’s needs and desires.  Therefore, the fee to ride an air conditioned bus is twice that of a non-A/C bus, to whit, 30 cents vs. 15 cents.  And there is a definite pecking order for priority in traffic, buses, taxis, trucks, vans, cars, motorcycles in the vehicle lanes, e-bikes, motorcycles, bicycles and often pedestrians in the cycle lane, and pedestrians, dogs (now oblivious to distractions, while in heat) trees and stationery construction equipment in the pedestrian lanes. 

Building a traffic separating barrier.  Shrubs come later.

But, once I realized the only way I would see much of the city on my own terms, get an extra 45 minutes of sleep and still get to my 7:45 classes in good time, was to become one of the cyclists.  I knew I was ready when I was able to smile indulgently when my bus cut off several cars in one trip, and pulled closer to the light by getting into the left turn lane to proceed back into the right lane in front of two other buses when the light changed.  But traffic moves relatively slowly in any case and accidents are rare, usually fender benders.  

7 speed Giant Momentum - double locking, one for hind wheel, one to the fence.

I tried to buy a “used” bike, but was unsuccessful within my time line.  I wanted one before the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday the first week of October so that I could do some sightseeing.  One of my students works part time at a Giant shop and, showing  admirable character, sacrificed his potential for a commission at his own shop to help me get one within my price range at another shop.  He was pleased with my generous gift of thanks.  I thought I was getting a modest machine so that it would not be a “thief magnet”, joining the thousands of single lock bikes tossed into collection trucks, heading for the “used” markets.  Three staff members had their high end bikes stolen in the two weeks preceding the holiday, obviously a high need time for transportation.  When I showed off my bike to my elderly neighbour, with eyes big and round, his jaw dropped.  Regaining his composure, he very generously offered me his bike for those times when I need a bike and am not simply commuting to work.  He gave me a set of keys for the two locks, and said simply, if the bike is not in the garage, I will know you have it.  And if you don’t find it there, you will know I am using it.  But in fact, the next person to use the bike will probably be his 12 year old grandson, now five.    

Recently I commented that I was grateful to know how to render lard.  Now I am grateful for all those joyous hours of herding cattle on horseback.  The same principles apply commuting to work.  One must “ride actively, alertly”, as Garth Butcher would say.  Last week I was sharply reprimanded by the guy who cut me off from behind.  I swerved to avoid hitting the rider to my right, and trying to reassert my balance touched him.  Thankfully, I don’t know exactly what he said.  When I asked my students what I could say in Mandarin to express my frustration and anger, a very polite and shy student suggested I “use that word that starts with “f”.  Everybody knows that English! 

At the end of my first week of commuting, I had reason to question the degree of my own emotional response.  I still don’t know whether I feel guiltier to have been riding the wrong way in the bicycle lane, or angry at the red car going the correct direction while blasting his horn as he insisted on forcing cyclists out of his way.  I still feel the guilt, but no longer bother much about it.  The fact is that there are many stretches where the only choice is to ride in the pedestrian walkway, or the wrong way in traffic because it can be hundreds of metres to a crosswalk where one can navigate into the correct lane. 

I made a stupid mistake today, wearing a dress that was too slim for bike riding.  Pulling up to a stopping point, the fabric of my dress, hoisted up enough to allow me to pedal unimpeded, became hooked on the back of the seat.  When I tried to put my foot down to steady my bike, we fell.  The e-bike managed to stop alongside me, say “Ay-oooh” in surprise and awe, while I gazed at his front wheel five inches from my face.  I skinned my knee, ran my stockings, thanked him for his concern, and tried to look non-chalant in a very Asian effort to save face as the light changed and traffic moved forward.  I am happy for any scratches on the bike; the less new it looks, the better, but I’ll save the dress for walking jaunts! 

Speaking of lights, now that’s an interesting concept!  In morning and evening rush hour, the traffic cops or crossing monitors will not allow cycles and pedestrians to begin crossing the road until only about 4 seconds remain on the vehicle’s “go” time.  Such a loss of travel time!  Should one disobey, one gets a shrill whistle blast.  When the cops are not out, however, cycles and pedestrians begin to move as the traffic thins, or when there are anywhere from two to 12 seconds left on the light.  But it is frustrating when cars try to force their way through us.  Yesterday, my 70ish PhD-Chemistry colleague, a cyclist, was so peeved about car traffic in the cycle lane near the school that he was standing in the middle of the lane as I approached, following a car, pointing and directing peeved motorists into the vehicle lane.  He was, characteristically apparently calm but authoritative, and they obeyed without running over him as I saw him later at work, whole and hearty.  Did he miss his calling? 

I learned later that it was his letter to the mayor of the city, the Education Ministry, whose offices are located next door to our prestigious school, and translated for the local newspaper, who was largely responsible for implementation of that “bicycle” lane.  He says he often directs traffic at that spot.

The principal and his wife are still taking taxis to work.  Most take the metro (subway) and/or the bus.  Of we female expats on my staff, only myself and a 20 something colleague are cycling though several of the guys are.  Riding partway with a colleague the other day, he complemented me on having the fortitude to ride a bike in Nanjing, saying “it’s not for the faint of heart”.  I don’t have to worry on that score.  Riding a bike in Nanjing I get much the same high as I do riding my Harley or alpine skiing back home. 

As usual, all questions, comments and encouragements are welcome.  It’s heart warming to hear from each of you.  I’m looking forward to my sister and niece’s visit in February, and a cousin has expressed an interest in seeing China while I’m here.  Anyone else?