I’m quite familiar with rush-hour traffic in Beijing. I drive my electric scooter about 4 kilometers to and from work whenever it’s not raining and the weather is nice (at least 32 degrees Fahrenheit or zero degrees for you guys that use a logical temperature scale that I just can’t get the hang of). To be honest, the traffic really is crazy/scary sometimes, but personally I don’t mind it too much.
For many people, getting used to the driving habits of people in Beijing is the first manifestation of major culture shock. Some never get over it. I actually sort of love the thrill of Chinese traffic. There is, however, one thing that really drives me nuts:
Emergency lights.
First of all, the police cars always have their lights on. I’ve never seen anyone get pulled over, but every police vehicle I see on the road drives around with the red and blue lights on all the time. I just don’t get it; I see it as a good but completely frightening lesson in the law of diminishing returns. Here, no one ever gets out of the way of the police cars because if it’s always an emergency, it’s never an emergency.
I was on the phone with a friend one day while he was driving here in Beijing, and all of a sudden he said, “Hold on, I think I’m getting pulled over.”
I was actually really impressed. I asked, “Are you sure? I’ve never heard of anyone actually getting pulled over on the road here.”
His reply? “Well, there’s a cop behind me with his lights on, so it seems like I am.” As soon as he pulled over to the side, the cop took advantage of the freed-up space and accelerated on by.
I’m not sure if it’s an actual Public Security Bureau (PSB) policy, but if it is, it seems like the most effective way to be ineffective and make sure everyone ignores you in the event of a real emergency. Maybe the officers in the cars just feel like it’s an acceptable trade off to be able to use the lights as a slight advantage in the ongoing game of chicken that takes place on the on roads.
This leads me to my second point:
Individual drivers install red and blue emergency lights on their own vehicles. Apparently all is fair in love, war, and driving in Beijing. I do think that this particular attempt to give yourself a traffic advantage is technically illegal, but it’s also quite popular. Some cars even have their own sirens.
What’s the craziest thing you have seen on the roads in Beijing?
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In Wuhan, there was a group of college students where I taught that drove a car that they painted to look exactly like a police car–sirens and lights included. When I inquired about it, they admitted that if they got caught, they’d be in big legal trouble. I can pretty much guarantee they won’t ever be confronted about it, though.
The lights are actually banned but…