Getting Around in Beijing
By Bettina Stephenson
July 25 2008
The thing I miss the most about living in Boston is the ease and convenience that comes with being in a compact city.
I live in a cute one bedroom apartment in Beacon Hill that's within a
ten-minute walk from school, work, restaurants, grocery stores and
great shopping. Luckily, I've been able to find some items I need right
on the CUC campus, but many of the basic items I need require a trip
into downtown Beijing. Each trip usually takes a few hours, since I
have to factor in travel time on the subway or if I take a taxi, the
heavy traffic.
I never thought the day would come when I would admit to how much
I miss Boston taxi drivers. The aggressive drivers that the city is
known for pale in comparison to those found in Beijing. Riding in
taxis in China has proved to be quite an experience. I thought the taxi
drivers would stay in-between the white lines; I assumed they would
stop at red lights. I also expected them to use turn signals when they
turned, or to try to avoid pedestrians, not to run them down.
In the most intense taxi ride I've had so far, I was able to witness how frighteningly good Chinese taxi drivers are at multitasking. This would have been an admired skill if I hadn't been watching the driver speed, while he was texting on his cell phone, tuning the radio and having a race with the taxi next to us - all at the same time.
In the most intense taxi ride I've had so far, I was able to witness how frighteningly good Chinese taxi drivers are at multitasking. This would have been an admired skill if I hadn't been watching the driver speed, while he was texting on his cell phone, tuning the radio and having a race with the taxi next to us - all at the same time.
After being here for about three weeks, I've come to realize that
the roads in this city will never be quiet and that each trip downtown
is just going to add to the adventure and excitement of Beijing.