| 1 |
How I drive in Shanghai - Part II Looking at this in one way, it's very complicated - most people don't drive, it's a cultural thing, lack of education, bad signing, authorities no enforcing rules, etc. etc. Looking at it another way, it really does come down to respect, and the obscene lack of it that people show to others here. Cars not just not giving right-of-way to pedestrians, but SPEEDING UP at the same time as honking their horn... lack of respect for other's going around their business and utter lack of respect for their lives. I can feel myself getting angry as I type, it really is infuriating that people here DO put "me me me me!" before the safety of another and all others not in their circle. It's a side-effect of the culture here, yes, but it IS a sick one, and no amount of excuse-making will make up for the fact and no amout of excuse-making will get away from the fact that China has, comparitively, extremely high road casualty rates. WS, banning all right-turns on reds CAN work, there is no reason it can't. Your logic is running backwards. The, "You think it's bad now, it'd be worse with no turns on red lights", line of reasoning is not useful and fraught with issues - a rule that grossly endangers life is not a good rule, period. In different places it works because in those places people have respect for strangers, respect for the potential damage they can cause (a sense of consequenses, also bizzarely lacking here) and respect for the sanctity of life, for whatever reason. In fact, if anything it could improve the overall situation - cars go when they have a green, pedestrians go when they have a green, both stop when they have a red. No grey areas. People who don't respect others rights (notice I'm not saying 'follow the rules') get heavily penalised. Anyway, like anyone else I just wish these roads were safer and people valued each other's safety more. |