| The UGLY Modern Chinese.
The problem is actually more profound than just driving, it is deeper that the superficiality we have seen on the street daily. I think it is because to the Chinese mind now the center of the earth is his or her self. That everything start from their own interest than the next is probably others will come to consideration if I have time or if it is giving me profit. That is why you see in the Shanghai subway stations a lot of "illiterate"people standing on the platform which is supposed to be for people get alight whilts the in-coming passenger wait on the side.(Depsite the platform already given that sign right on the floor of that platform). Then if you are insight look at their face to get a seat, almost breaking the 100meter race each time and smug face if they manage to get a seat even for that they have knocked down an old lady or man. It is very seldom for me to see a young person offer a seat to a lady, senior citizens in China. They are very courteous on this in Japan, Singapore. At the supermarket just look how they dont understand a single bit about queueing, you can see that they dont give a damn bit of thoughtfullness or courtesy like the Japanese. Despite the war attrocities I must say that the Japanese in Japan are the most courteous and thoughtfull people. I vouched that even in Tokyo, been there few times and always have this same feeling. Coming to the street, the incessant horn blowing is the norm, again the same smugness face of arrogant "new driver" of people who suddenly can afford car but with the mentality of people with small thinking. They may drove Maybach, latest Ferrari,Lamborghini, Lexus, BWM 7 series, Mercedez, Porche and Audi but their behaviour is very uncivilised no different than an uneducated people. They park where they like as they just bribe the security guard or out of total ignorance, doesnt matter if it blocks pedestrian crossing or walkway. Totally with out any consideration to other traffic users. The bus / public transport also the same. Doesnt matter if the bicycle rider is an old man, or a mother taking her daughter these people are on the right lane.. they just blew the horn incessantly as if they are saying: "hey get out of my way you stupid Chinese" On the other front also about the cleanliness, if Paris got land mines in the form of dog poo, here we have anywhere to look for spits to avoid steppin on that disgusting greenish yellow spits. During the SARS I was very happy as nobody spit, but the moment the crisis is over everybody back to the olde bad habit of spitting just anywhere they like. Even inside the Lotus supermarket their employee spit on the floor infront of the customers..jeez. Coming back to what I observe and discuss with some Chinese friends it it the self centerness that make the new Chinese. That is why also we saw a lot of accidents on the street. An overseas friend pathetically said it is good maybe for China so the population now controlled not only by Family Planning but by the Road Barbaric Drivers of China. So if you seen the shocking statistic of road accidents dont wonder. In my opinion unless these daily clashes, conflict between traffic users (including the pedestrians) being handled with firm authority we will see more deeper social animosities. It is also lies on the deeper sight a picture of income gap is widening between the have and the have not. While those "The Have" doesnt have the mentality of civilised people, what they have is only arogances, that they can do no wrong. The have not work hard but in most time they are also paying a very high cost of being the underdog of the society till they can struggled wiggled to move up the rat race ladder if at all. As for the motorised traffic the chaos of these unruly behaviour does another cost. Money= waste gasoline, long queues, traffic jams in many part of the city. Some wise people said, if you want to get a picture of a modern civilised society one of the indicator is how they drive and use the road. If so, then Shanghai or big metro in China is a picture of UGLY people. If these are the face of Shanghai, what we are proud of? All the glitter of Waitans, HuaiHai Lu, NanjingLu, Jinmao Tower being washed out the moment one car blewing horn without any respect to a pedestrian crossing the street. A city is nothing without a soul. And I believe Shanghai is going that way at the moment. Yet with a good visionary leader Shanghai also had the ability to lead set an example of a fine civilised city. Other wise sooner or later Shanghai will become a city like Manila, Jakarta or Bangkok where no-mans land in the traffic; long drive in the midts of traffic jams. Those 5000 years of histories and values we are so proud of is not in our heart and mind anymore. All we have now is the olde arrogances of the bad history of China being relived because of our indifference attitudes. IT only took one massive SARS, Bird Flu, or tsunami, or earthquake to humble, so what are we so arrogance about? On this folder or topic, I would like to appeal all real Zhongguoren to instill back the good values we inherited. 5000 years of history means nothing less we learn and practice the good universal values in this modern neck breaking society. Let us not be the UGLY CHINESE. "a huaren in the city" |
Traffic Rules in Shanghai - Part II