Beijing is a big, busy place and the Beijing taxi experience.

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OK.. I have to get better at doing this blogging stuff.. so here goes...

As for the heading... Beijing is a big, busy place. Yeah, I know, chronic understatement. Think of it as the whole population of Australia living in one big city. And with so many people all in the same spot, there just seems to be more people than space sometimes. But the place where it is most evident is on the roads.

Yesterday, I found myself stuck in Gridlock traffic, kilometers away from the center of Beijing at 3:30 on a Saturday afternoon. The only time you may experience that back home is if you are leaving a major event (ie. concert, sporting event etc...) but this was just a normal sleepy Saturday in China. It was while I sat in the traffic Jam, idling away the time, I made some very starting and insightful observations about Chinese taxi's. These are what I am calling, "The laws of Taxi"

1. Everything else on the road should give way to Chinese Taxis. Just pure and simple that rule, they are the bravest, therefore... they go first.

2. The Taxi will cease to operate if you do not change lanes either every 2 minutes or 1 kilometer.

3. Indicator are used sometimes, if the driver is feeling generous about giving other road users and pedestrians a fighting chance.

4. Sound the horn at an object on the road will eventually make it move. Eventually... Even other traffic in gridlock cannot resist this law and will defy the laws of physics to fit into a smaller space on the road than it phsically should be able to, just to get out of the taxi's way.

5. The Taxi will cease to operate if you do not sound the horn at lease once every minute or 1 kilometer.

6. Pick up and drop off of passengers in the middle of the road is acceptable.

7. Pick up and drop off of passengers on the freeway is adventurous, but still acceptable

8. Taxis are permitted to drive on the footpath if the road is deemed to be too busy.

9. Taxis are permitted to stop at a totally random location, and advise your passenger that this is where they really wanted to go.

10. The taxi will cease to operate if the radio is not tuned into the "Chinese theatre" channel

11. The driver will advise you that he knows exactly where it is you wish to go, until you get somewhere near it, then he is lost and has no clue, and procedes to do laps around the vacinity until the passenger finally cries for mercy and begs to be let out.

12. Taxis are required to pull out in front of other traffic moving at speed, just to check how well the other vehicles brakes operate.

13. Pedestrains are more nimble than taxi's, and are therefore responsible to take evasive action. Some more adventurous souls may take on the Taxi in a stare down contest... The pedestrian may well win, but can be easily destiguished by the brown streak at the seat of thier pants.

14. Taxis must be driven at the lowest rev range possible, so the motor labours in low revs until you reach top gear (at approx 45 kph)

15. Front seats must be all the way back, and reclined... to make rear seat passenger dismount as challenging as possible.

16. Taxis must adhere to 3 standard aroma's... Smoker, Spicey food and Tootie Fruitie... Still yet to find one of the Tootie Fruitie variety.

17. Reading while driving is acceptable. Reading while swerving across 3 lanes of traffic is also acceptable, but should be reserved for the more battle hardened veterans.

18. Only give way to trucks and busses when they are just about to run into you. Horn must be sounded after any close shave to challenge the Gods of the roads to try harder next time.

19. All Taxi's must appear to be in use, or be parked on the side of the road at peak traffic times.

20. Taxi's are permitted to refuse to take passengers... if they dont really feel like it at the time.



Actually, all things considered, they are not all that bad. Ive seen many worse in other countries. Taxi's here are cheap, and apart from morning/evening rush, there usually seems to be plenty of them.

Anyway.. thats enough for now. Till next time. C ya :o)

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