Beijing Traffic

One of the first things I noticed driving in from the airport was the traffic in Beijing. The traffic signals are just suggestions, the lines on the road are there for moral support, and whenever anyone does anything that remotely impedes your progress it is appropriate to honk your horn, regardless of who is technically correct. In fact correctness seems to be determined mostly by stubbornness and size.

I told Danna I would never drive in Beijing. If I was rich I would hire someone to drive my car to reduce stress. No one moves very fast so I have yet to see anything resembling a major traffic accident.

Update: I lived four years in Shanghai and traffic has not improved that much but the Chinese have built numerous freeways, subways, and train lines, they just have so many people. The Chinese despite what their philosophy may imply are not patient, they want it all and they want it now. Both consumer debt, corporate debt, and government debt have increased a lot since 2005 and Chinese statistics are not known for their accuracy.

At the moment China is in a trade war with the United States and likely other Western and Asian countries will be forced to choose sides. Not a good time to be looking for a new job even though I managed to pass all three CFA® exams.

This entry was originaly posted on September 27th, 2005, it was last edited on February 14th, 2019 and is filed under: Asia and tagged: Beijing, China.